Monday, March 11th, 2019
Chmielewski has All-Ohio finish
By Gary R. Rasberry
Submitted Photo
Coldwater's Brian Chmielewski tries to turn over Troy Christians's Troy Kennedy for back points during Saturday's Division III 113-pound seventh-place match at the State Wrestling Tournament in Columbus. Chmielewski lost the match but earned All-Ohio honors with an eighth-place finish. Riley Schmidt/For The Daily Standard.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
The finish might not have been the one that Brian Chmielewski wanted, but the Coldwater senior can call himself an All-Ohio wrestler.
Chmielewski lost to a familiar opponent in the seventh-place match at 113 pounds in the Division III State Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at the Schottenstein Center.
The eighth-place finish allows Chmielewski to become the seventh Cavalier wrester to earn All-Ohio honors.
"If felt good," said Chmielewski via telephone. "After losing my first match, I didn't think at first I would make (to the podium), but I told myself I would get the next best thing. That's what I did to make it back to eighth.
"At the beginning of the season I was looking at the rankings and I wasn't ranked top 10. I think I was 19th or 20th. I told myself I was way better than that. I worked hard and proved that I was one of those top (wrestlers) in Ohio."
After losing in the consolation quarterfinal on Friday night, Chmielewski dropped into the seventh-place match on Saturday morning. His opponent was Troy Christian's Troy Kennedy, a wrestler that Chmielewski had faced three times already this season, losing the first two meetings before winning in the third-place match at the Troy district.
"The first time he completely killed me," said Chmielewski of Kennedy. "Second time I lost by a takedown and the third time I beat him."
The battle for seventh was a tough on. Kennedy led 2-0 after the first period.
"He picked bottom (position) in the second period and I rode him the whole (two-minute) period," said Chmielewski. "I chose bottom (in the third), got out (for an escape point). He took me down and I reversed him, which made it 4-3. I cut him (let him escape) to try and take him down again to tie the score up. Last second, I dived at his leg to try to get a takedown and he ended up taking me down at the end."
Although the loss was tough to take, Chmielewski, who ends his season at 47-12, was happy to get the chance to compete in front of the large crowd at the Schottenstein Center.
"It's amazing to be (down on the floor): the lights, the people, everything," said Chmielewski. "I was kind of overwhelmed going into my first match. I was still staring in the crowd."
