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250 third-fifth graders gather for THE MAIN EVENT


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http://newsandtribune.com/localsports/x1284936526/ELEMENTARY-WRESTLING-Riverside-Bridgepoint-tie-at-Main-Event

 

March 13, 2012

ELEMENTARY WRESTLING: Riverside, Bridgepoint tie at Main Event

By KEVIN HARRIS

Kevin.Harris@newsandtribune.com

 

JEFFERSONVILLE ? Riverside and Bridgepoint finished tied for first place overall at the Jeffersonville Elementary Wrestling League Main Event at Johnson Arena in Jeffersonville Tuesday.

 

The event drew approximately 250 grapplers in third through fifth grade, according to Jeffersonville High School wrestling coach Danny Struck. Red Devil wrestlers coached the teams from each of nine elementary schools.

 

?I think they get a lot out of coaching it, as far as growing up and realizing what it takes to lead others, so it was a successful event,? Struck said.

 

The Riverside squad, coached by Jeff senior Mackenzie Burns, took a share of the overall championship behind the strength of its fifth graders, which won with 130 points. Bridgepoint?s fifth graders came in second with 110 points, with Northhaven, Thomas Jefferson and Parkwood tied for third with 90 points.

 

?I?m disappointed that our third grade and fourth grade didn?t win, but that?s OK,? Burns said. ?There?s always next year for them. I?m glad my fifth graders won. They won in fourth grade, so this is the second time they?ve won, so they know what winning feels like, and they know what losing feels like because they didn?t win in third grade. But I?m just getting them ready to go to middle school and wrestle, so I?m glad they won.?

 

Struck said the Main Event breeds competition among his wrestlers-turned-coaches.

 

?I think they were cheering bigger than the elementary kids. About a month before this starts, they start arguing with each other at practice over who?s going to have the best team,? Struck said. ?That?s fun, but years ago, 10 years ago, I had to beg kids to do it. We did every other school every other day, because I didn?t have enough people manning it.?

 

Struck?s practice of getting his wrestlers to coach the event has inspired Burns.

 

?If it wasn?t for Coach Struck, I wouldn?t be doing what I?m doing now,? Burns said. ?When he started this 10 years ago, I was a second grader. When I was in fourth, I started wrestling at Bridgepoint. Since then, I?ve always wanted to coach, and when I have the opportunity, he let me do it. Even when I didn?t wrestle this year, he still let me coach so that made me feel really good.?

 

Bridgepoint?s share of the overall crown was powered by its fourth graders, who won with 120 points. Maple?s second-place fourth graders scored 100 points, while Riverside placed third with 90.

 

Parkwood won the third-grade championship with 120 points, followed by Riverside with 110 and Bridgepoint with 100.

 

Struck credits the Main Event with the more recent success of the Jeffersonville wrestling team, pointing out that state finalist Alonzo Shepherd and fellow wrestlers Jordan Schremp, Brandon Marlin and Brent Browner, among others, got their start at it when they were third graders.

 

?Our first sectional championship as a team never came until our first elementary class reached high school,? Struck said. ?I think the ultimate success does come by years of experience, although you do get a few lucky few.?

 

Struck, who has been running the Main Event for 10 years now, was relieved the event was not cancelled, as ISTEP testing was taking place at the elementary schools last week.

 

?They trusted us to do it,? Struck said. ?Our high school kids, as a team we?re making some fairly good grades, so they understood to go talk to the kids about getting sleep and eating right and helping them through the ISTEP. I hope this brought attendance up at the schools. ?I?ve got to go to wrestling practice today, so I?ve got to go to ISTEP.??

 

Struck said that admission from the event, three nights worth of concession profits and an additional donation from the booster club would go directly to the family of Silver Creek baseball coach Joe Decker and his wife, Stephanie. Stephanie Decker lost both of her legs protecting her children during the tornado that ravaged Southern Indiana on March 2.

 

Additionally, Zaxby?s in Jeffersonville will donate 10 percent of today?s sales to the Deckers.

 

As for Bridgepoint and Riverside, each school will receive a banner to hang in its gym, a trophy and a pizza party.

 

?You just mention pizza party to a kid, and he thinks they just won the Super Bowl. We say pizza party at that school, and it?s the biggest motivator that they can have,? Struck said.

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