Seasoned Michel looking to bring state title to Lancaster
Sunday February 3, 2013 | By:Mike Pidanick, Metro Source | Sports
The goals for Lancaster senior wrestler Steve Michel are pretty clear as he heads into his final postseason.
“State championship,” he said with confidence.
Yeah, that might be the goal for every high school wrestler. But Michel has what it takes to get there.
Michel sure knows a thing or two about the state tournament — he’s been there in each of the last three seasons as a Section VI champion. He placed sixth at states last season.
“I want a championship,” he said. “I know I belong there and I don’t expect to lose.”
He entered the Section VI Class AA tournament with a 33-3 record and two of the losses came at the prestigious Eastern States Classic at SUNY Sullivan in Loch Sheldrake.
The rest of the time this season, Michel has been simply dominant in tournaments around Western New York.
He claimed championships at the Attica Blue Devil Challenge, Penfield Hunter Holiday Invitational Tournament, Teike/Bernabi Wrestling Tournament, NFWOA Tournament and ECIC Championships. He was named Most Outstanding Wrestler for the lower weights at both Attica and Penfield.
The final regular season postseason championship was one of the toughest for Michel. At the ECIC tournament in Clarence, he gutted out a 2-1 win over Amherst freshman phenom Kellen Devlin.
“I knew it was going to be a close one, just had to stay confidence,” said Michel, who also beat Devlin for the NFOAC championship. “I knew if I had the lead I was going to win.”
One-point decisions and first-period pins, Michel has shown he can win any kind of match. He’s got more than 140 wins in his fantastic high school career and he’s looking to add to that number at the Times-Union Center in Albany later this season.
“He’s starting to hit stride,” Lancaster coach Ron Lorenz said. “Hopefully we can carry that into the state tournament and get a high finish around here.”
“State championship,” he said with confidence.
Yeah, that might be the goal for every high school wrestler. But Michel has what it takes to get there.
Michel sure knows a thing or two about the state tournament — he’s been there in each of the last three seasons as a Section VI champion. He placed sixth at states last season.
“I want a championship,” he said. “I know I belong there and I don’t expect to lose.”
He entered the Section VI Class AA tournament with a 33-3 record and two of the losses came at the prestigious Eastern States Classic at SUNY Sullivan in Loch Sheldrake.
The rest of the time this season, Michel has been simply dominant in tournaments around Western New York.
He claimed championships at the Attica Blue Devil Challenge, Penfield Hunter Holiday Invitational Tournament, Teike/Bernabi Wrestling Tournament, NFWOA Tournament and ECIC Championships. He was named Most Outstanding Wrestler for the lower weights at both Attica and Penfield.
The final regular season postseason championship was one of the toughest for Michel. At the ECIC tournament in Clarence, he gutted out a 2-1 win over Amherst freshman phenom Kellen Devlin.
“I knew it was going to be a close one, just had to stay confidence,” said Michel, who also beat Devlin for the NFOAC championship. “I knew if I had the lead I was going to win.”
One-point decisions and first-period pins, Michel has shown he can win any kind of match. He’s got more than 140 wins in his fantastic high school career and he’s looking to add to that number at the Times-Union Center in Albany later this season.
“He’s starting to hit stride,” Lancaster coach Ron Lorenz said. “Hopefully we can carry that into the state tournament and get a high finish around here.”
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