Mar 26, 2022
Ken Rowe brings people together.
Some by choice — others by necessity.
Just look at the Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama wrestling team.
Rowe, a Ripley product, joined the Chautauqua Lake program several years ago when one of the smallest school districts in New York state began tuitioning its students to the Mayville-based school.
Due to numbers, Westfield and Panama joined the Chautauqua Lake program.
When Clymer student-athlete Trent Burchanowski was looking for a place to wrestle, Rowe and the Thunderbirds welcomed him with open arms.
CL/W/P continues to reap the rewards.
Rowe’s Thunderbirds pressed Falconer/Cassadaga Valley for the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 crown this season, finishing second with a 5-1 record after falling to the Golden Cougars 38-21 on Jan. 12.
Falconer/Cassadaga Valley has won 11 straight Division 1 titles, but CL/W/P is gaining on Drew Wilcox’s squad.
Individually, Rowe’s Thunderbirds shined this season.
Burchanowski and Jordan Joslyn qualified for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Division II Championships held late last month in Albany.
Burchanowski, a junior who wrestled at 132 pounds in the state’s capital, went 37-8 on the season, took first at the 21st annual Patrick J. Morales Memorial Tournament and the 28th annual Ripley Invitational; second at the Section VI Division II state qualifier and the Section VI Class C/D meet; third at the 26th annual Triple-O Mechanical/Byron-Bergen Invitational; and was fourth at the 2nd annual Linda C. Knuutila Memorial Tournament.
Joslyn, a sophomore who wrestled at 118 pounds in Albany, went 42-3 on the season, took first at the Class C/D meet, Patrick J. Morales Memorial, Ripley Invitational, Linda C. Knuutila Memorial and Byron Bergen Invitational; and finished second at the state qualifier.
John Watson, a sophomore who wrestled at 152 pounds, went 33-12 on the season, took first at the Ripley Invitational; second at the Class C/D meet; third at the state qualifier; and fourth at the Patrick J. Morales Memorial and Byron-Bergen Invitational.
Ison Shirley, a sophomore wrestling at 189 pounds, went 28-13 on the season, took second at the Gowanda Invitational, Patrick J. Morales Memorial and Byron-Bergen Invitational; third at the Class C/D meet; and fourth at the state qualifier.
Martin Ohlsson, a junior 126-pounder who went 29-14 on the season, took second at the Ripley Invitational; third at the Class C/D meet; fourth at the Byron-Bergen Invitational; and sixth at the state qualifier.
Carson Fairbank, an eighth-grader who wrestled at 138 pounds and went 34-14 on the season, took second at the Ripley Invitational; fourth at the state qualifier and Class C/D meet; sixth at the Patrick J. Morales Memorial; and seventh at the Linda C. Knuutila Memorial.
Bradley Smith, a junior who wrestled at 145 pounds and went 24-12 on the season, took second at the Byron-Bergen Invitational; third at the Ripley Invitational and Class C/D meet; and fourth at the Patrick J. Morales Memorial.
Jayden Malecki, a sophomore 152-pounder who went 26-14 on the season, took second at the Class C/D meet; third at the Ripley Invitational; and fourth at the state qualifier.
Gavin Segovia, a junior who went 28-10 while wrestling at 215 pounds, took second at the Patrick J. Morales Memorial; third at the Class C/D meet, Gowanda Invitational, Ripley Invitational and Byron-Bergen Invitational; and fourth at the state qualifier.
While the Thunderbirds bring together student-athletes from multiple schools to create a formidable dual meet team, Rowe did the same with his coaching staff, having assistants from Panama, Southwestern and Maple Grove helping him out.
For sending two student-athletes to the state meet, nearly ending a perennial power’s 11-year run of dominance and winning team titles at the Byron-Bergen Invitational, Ripley Invitational, Patrick J. Morales Memorial and Class C/D meet, Rowe is the 2022 Post-Journal Wrestling Coach of the Year.
Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox
BUFFALO — Alex Ovechkin scored the tying goal and then had the decisive shootout goal, helping the Washington …
BUFFALO — The Buffalo Bills moved closer to landing $200 million in NFL funding to help finance their bid to …
Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox
Copyright © Observer Today | https://www.observertoday.com | PO Box 391, Dunkirk, NY 14048 | 716-366-3000 | Ogden Newspapers | The Nutting Company