Hard work off the mat has Bears heading to Reno

by Mike Kuhns

Posted on December 15, 2007

BRODHEADSVILLE — Mark Getz isn't one for tackling a challenge halfway.

When he arrived at Pleasant Valley three years ago, the rookie head wrestling coach made an announcement that got the entire program's attention.

The team was hitting the road.

"That was the first thing I said, 'We're going to Reno,'"Š"Š" Getz told the team, parents and boosters in 2005. "People said, 'Ah, that's a lot of money,' but you know what, everybody rallied around me. I had a lot of support with the parents, so it worked out pretty well."

The team raised the $15,000 needed for the trip and flew to Reno, Nev., last year. This year the Bears sold calenders and local businesses kicked in for the trip.

Senior Chris Servian knew the team had to work just as hard off the mat as it did on it to make the trip work financially.

"I was like, '$15,000, how are we going to raise all that money?'"Š"Š" Servian said. "But we did. We worked hard at it.

"Once I got out there it was like, wow, I'm actually in Reno. For me, that was my first airplane flight. It was amazing for me."

Pleasant Valley's second flight for Reno leaves today. The Tournament of Champions, a 76-team event that features 12 mats, kicks off 9 a.m. Wednesday and continues Thursday. The Bears will return home Dec. 22.

Last year, two PV wrestlers earned medals — Shane Everett was fourth at 140 pounds and Servian finished seventh at 152.

The Bears finished 20th in what was an 87-team field last year, while Easton won the tournament.

The Tournament of Champions is arguably the toughest scholastic tournament in the nation. Teams from all over the country attend and the styles of wrestling vary greatly.

The experience is just as enlightening off the mat for the team and coaches. The week together gives the group a chance to jell.

"Going out there for a week, our kids come together and we become more of a family," Getz said. "We get to know each other and I think that's when the team begins to mold a little bit."

Getz also said the team may take a different trip next year. He's considering taking the group to a tournament in Florida.

"I want to do this every year, a big trip every year," he said.

It's going to be tough to top Reno, though. The tournament started in 1996 with a 32-team field. It's grown tremendously since, attracting some of the top competition from around the nation.

Last year, Servian defeated a state bronze medalist from California. Everett wrestled athletes from Oklahoma, Utah, Idaho, California, Pennyslvania and Nevada.

Servian said the styles of the wrestlers from the East versus the West are much different from one another.

"In the East, the technique is more solid," Servian said. "They (in the West) rely on muscle and speed."

The team leaves a few days in advance of the event to get accustomed to the altitude. Reno is 4,500 feet above sea level, well above the 787 feet in Brodheadsville.

"You need two days out there to train because of the altitude," Getz said. "The kids will tell you, there's a big difference. The first day out there (last year) they couldn't breathe and the next day they felt a lot better."

Note: For more information about the tournament, go to www.rtoc.net. The Web site should update the brackets periodically throughout Wednesday and Thursday.

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