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Inexperienced McCluer North Wrestling Struggles at St. Charles West Tourney
BY JIM WIENERS
Jake Lapinski had seen success as a wrestler at Hazelwood East High School during the mid 1990s when the Spartans won three straight tournaments (1993-95).
Lapinksi’s dad, Paul, coached Riverview Gardens to four straight state championships during the late 1970s (1976-79).
Now Jake Lapinski is the head coach of McCluer North, a program that won three straight state titles 18-20 years ago (1988-90). This year Lapinski has a big rebuilding task as the Stars have only three wresters back from last year’s team that took fourth in districts and was in a five-way tie for 17th in state Class Four.
During the Christmas holidays McCluer North was 16th out of 18 teams competed in the Granite City (Ill.) Tournament. Last weekend the Stars finished 11th out of 12 teams in the St. Charles West Warrior Wrestling Tournament won by Francis Howell Central.
“We’re a real young team,” said Lapinski, “young and inexperienced.” And it showed last weekend. Despite the fact that it has been frustrating, especially last weekend Lapinski said “we’re improving each week.”
McCluer North did not field a full team last weekend at St. Charles West as the Stars were without a wrestler at 285 pounds. Seven of the wrestlers made it from the round-robin matches last Friday to the quarterfinals last Saturday but none of them came home with medals. Fard Harris had the best chance at a medal, only the top three in each weight class but ended up with a fourth-place finish at 125
Curtis Peebles was fifth at 119, Gary Battle (189) and Lamar Woods (215) each took sixth, Kyle Gerringer was seventh at 105 and two others, Peter Wilson (140) and Mike Parhomski (160), were eighth.
RIVERVIEW GARDENS INVITATIONAL — While Francis Howell Central won at St. Charles West two other Gateway Athletic Conference teams won at Riverview Gardens last Saturday as Francis Howell High won the Gold Division while Fort Zumwalt North won the Blue Division. Among Suburban North Conference teams Ritenour was third and Riverview was fifth in the Blue Division while Hazelwood East was fourth in the Gold Division. Among the weight class winners were Charles Johnson and Meldrick Woods, Hazelwood East and Moody (first name unavailable), Riverview Gardens.
COMING UP — This Friday-Saturday Hazelwood West and McCluer North will be at the Mary Institute-Country Day School Tournament. This Saturday Hazelwood Central will be at the Kyle Thrasher Tournament at Francis Howell High, McCluer High and Trinity Catholic will be at the McCluer South-Berkeley Invitational and Riverview Gardens will be the Kirkwood Invitational. On Jan. 30-31 Hazelwood Central will be in Blue Springs for a tournament, on Jan. 31 Hazelwood West will be in the Francis Howell North Tournament while Trinity Catholic will be in the Priory Invitational.
