Published: March 04, 2008 10:48 pm      

HS WRESTLING: N-W's grapplers do it year-round

WHEATFIELD — Over the past decade or so, it’s become common place for big-name high school sports such as basketball and football to turn into year-round activities. The best teams and athletes are the ones that dedicate themselves to the sport 365 days a year.

Now that notion has spilled over into most all sports, none more than wrestling.

Need a prime example?

Take a look at Niagara-Wheatfield’s program and the way it’s dominated the local scene the past few seasons. The four-time defending undefeated Niagara Frontier League champions have had numerous state qualifiers the past couple years, including four — Joey Malvestuto, Jehad Ali, Bob Malvestuto and Angelo Malvestuto — that are preparing for this weekend’s New York state championships at Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena.

“Over the years the (American Amateur Union) and USA (Wrestling) have started sanctioning all kinds of tournaments and the kids are getting their cards to get into these tournaments, which are throughout the year in New York state and out-of-state,” N-W coach Rick Sweney said. “I think that has really opened the door for these kids and made them better.”

Sweney is also a coach with the Niagara Falls Powercats youth wrestling club, which includes kids ages four to 18. Included in the Powercats lineup, following the high school season, are all four of the Falcons’ state representatives.

“It’s very important,” junior Bob Malvestuto said of his time with the Powercats. “If you’re not going to work year-round at it, how are you going to get better?”

Many of the tournaments allow for grapplers to see some of the top competition from not only the area or even state, but rather the entire country.

“You get to see the best guys,” said sophomore Angelo Malvestuto, who won a national championship at an AAU tournament in Virginia Beach last spring. “Once you wrestle the best, you get to see different styles and sizes and you get better.”

That gives wrestlers an opportunity to work on new maneuvers and techniques without the pressure of trying to win every single match, according to Bob Malvestuto.

“You’re not afraid to win or lose so much,” he said. “You look to learn new stuff and get better where in the high school season it’s all about winning.”

It also gives the wrestlers a chance to let their hair down, so to speak, and enjoy themselves.

“It’s just a lot of fun,” freshman Joey Malvestuto said. “You travel everywhere, like Virginia, Ohio, Myrtle Beach.”

This weekend, the quartet of N-W wrestlers will certainly enjoy themselves, but they’ll also be focused on their goals of placing at the state tournament. And any achievements they may garner, or have garnered for that matter, are a direct result of the work they’ve put in outside the high school season.

“Wrestling in the offseason pays off,” Ali said. “It gets you to where you want to be as a wrestler. That’s exactly how all of us got here.”

Contact reporter Nate Beutel at 282-2311, ext. 2262.