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Eli is Eastern (Maine) Regional Champion
In his weight class in wrestling! Every year Eli has improved, but this year he took a qualitative leap forward. It began last year when Chris Weiss, an amazing young athlete from Rockland, worked out with the Camden-Rockport team since Rockland didn’t have a team last year. He is an incredibly gifted and hard-working, focused kid, and he and Eli challenged each other to improve. Last summer Eli went to a top wrestling camp in Boston for a week (the only middle schooler with many high school kids), and learned a lot. At the beginning of this season, Eli set two goals: undefeated and regional champion. Eli admits he made several mistakes in one match about halfway through the season and lost one match. So he put that goal aside and focused on Eastern Regional Champion, and he DID IT!
Eli is the one holding the bracket card over his head, the number 2 from Ellsworth is on his left in the burgundy shirt, number 3 from Brewer is on the right in gray sweatshirt, and number four from Bucksport (the only kid to beat Eli) is on the far left.
Here’s Eli’s match against the Bucksport kid…if there had been 3 more seconds in the period this would have been a pin, but instead Eli won (whomp) 13-3 (previous matches during the regular season were Eli wins by pinning, Eli loses 9-6 but doesn’t get pinned, Eli wins 13-0):
The Number 2, Jack Weeks, almost beat Eli in the first match of the season! He was ahead 2-0 with 15 seconds left (matches are 3 periods: first is two minutes long, 2nd and 3rd and one minute), when Eli somehow managed to get a reversal and near fall (2 points each) to win 4-2. They met again in the finals, and it was a hard-fought contest. For much of the first period and part of the second, it looked like this, with Weeks (in burgundy on top) controlling the pace:
The boys were well-matched in strength and skill, and Eli had to fight for every point. Then Eli (in red, on top) got his groove back:
Eli was able to hang on, literally and very tightly, to prevent Weeks from escaping and tying up the match in the final 20 seconds. Eli won 3-2!!!!!!!
The Camden-Rockport team did well. Last year there were about 9 kids on the team. This year there were 18, most in their first year of wrestling and many in the 5th and 6th grade years (i.e. have a lot to learn). Of the 18 kids, 3 placed fourth and 3 placed first! YES, we had THREE Regional Champions on our team. The six will go on to States next weekend. Of the 3 champions, Chris Weiss in the weight class below Eli won his *fourth* regional championship (yes, he is that good!), and Taylor Crosby surprised many including himself in defeating Brandon Waterman (really nice kid and really good wrestler from nearby Belfast) in the weight class above Eli. Here’s a picture of the three of them with Jared Gilbert from HAL (Hope-Appleton-Lincolnville schools combine to field a team) who won in his weight class.
Just think…in two years these four champions will be on the Camden Hills Regional High School team together: can you say kick some serious keestker?
Congrats to the boys who won, to the coaches (including dear hubby who is the assistant coach) who got them there, to all the team members -boys and girls- who participated on the team wrestling varsity or back up and learning. Well done! See you at States and again next year.
And to end the day, sunset just as I was ready to turn left into the driveway…with the trees reflected on the hood of my car (this was a stick-your-arm-out-the-window-and-snap photo):
March 21st, 2011 at 5:54 pm
Thanks for the glimpse of Eli’s wrestling prowess. But–doesn’t it make you nervous to watch! My grandson (age 7) is in wrestling and I just cannot go to his meets. Can go to every other sports in which he’s involved–but not wrestling.
March 22nd, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Go Eli, Go Eli! Big Congrats!!
lex
April 18th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Eli,
What a great job, you have done such a great job in your wrestling.
Grandma and Grandpa Smith are so proud of you also.(they are at Bingo right now)
Uncle Richie and I think you are becoming very accomplished in your wrestling. Your cousin Craig also did wrestling when he was your age at the boys and girls club in Sarasota, but once he was a older they didn’t have a program for the boys, you are very lucky with all those in your life to help you fullfil you dreams and hopes.
the family in Florida is so proud of you. GREAT job.