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Wapak's Erb wrestles in national tournament |
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Friday, 03 July 2009 |
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 Wapak native Logan Erb compiled a 7-2 record in the 215-pound weight class last weekend. By CHRIS VOLOSCHUK
Sports Editor
When it comes to getting it done on the mat, Ohio wrestlers don't mess around.
At least that's the message they sent last weekend.
In the 2009 USAW Junior Freestyle National Dual wrestling competition, a collection of some of the best wrestlers in the state, including a Wapakoneta High School junior, took home first place overall, a shiny new trophy and gold medals.
Some of the best competition in the country, including some high school state champions, descended on Oklahoma City, Ok., to wrestle in 15 different weight classes and prove who was the best. In total, 36 states took part.
Participating in the tournament for the first time was Wapak's Logan Erb, who wrestled in the 215-pound weight class. Picked to the team during the spring, Erb was surprised but excited to be a part of it all.
"I knew there were national teams out there, but I never expected them to be calling me, at least right away," he said.
A stranger to the national scene, Erb is no stranger to the sport itself. He's been on the mat since the age of seven. He's wrestled for the Wapak varsity team for the past two years.
Despite a difficult training process that requires a load of running and other conditioning to stay in the best shape possible for matches, Erb's enjoyment of it all hasn't waned.
"I just love the sport," he said.
His level of experience and love of competing drove him to a high level of success in his first national freestyle event. Over the course of the weekend, he compiled a 7-2 record against some stiff competition from states such as New Jersey and Tennessee.
Still, he was nervous to start. With the help of his IPod, it wasn't long before he settled in and helped carry Team Ohio.
"I was nervous when I went in," Erb said. "My heart was pounding before my first match. But right after my first match I felt fine. It felt like home again."
Erb turned out to be as at home on the Oklahoma City mats as some of the more seasoned wrestlers. His 7-2 mark was the same as Jonathan Becker's of New Jersey. Becker, a recently-graduated senior, was ranked third in the country at one time.
It was a learning experience that Erb will be able to take with him next winter when the high school season begins.
"I learned a lot when I was out there," he said. "[I learned] to stay in the center [of the mat], quickness. I can use a lot of that in high school."
And then there was the trophy he helped Team Ohio win, which became its own story.
Charged with taking care of the trophy on the plane ride home, Erb first buckled it into the seat next to his. When the flight attendant saw it, she asked him to put it under his seat.
Wanting to keep the trophy in top condition, Erb refused, and the attendant walked away only to return soon after and ask him to place it in the overhead storage bin.
"I told her 'I'm not putting it above'," Erb said. "I said 'if it breaks, you're going to buy us a new trophy'."
The attendant then took the trophy and promised to put it in a safe spot, but Erb saw it had not only been placed in a box with bent corners, but the hardware itself sat in the box at an awkward angle.
"I was mad when she gave it back to me," he said.
When it came to the experience as a whole, though, Erb was all smiles.
"It was the time of my life," he said. "[My teammates and I] all got along with each other."
After his impressive debut, Erb was asked to return to the team for next year's tourney.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 06 July 2009 )
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