"Viking Voyage: U.P. Grappler's Trip Journal (First Entry)" by Frank Sports Talk (F.W. Manning II)

Viking Voyage: U.P. Grappler's Trip Journal (First Entry)

July 6, 2011

For 3 years now -- since Vike assistant coach Chris Vondruska (Ohio State wrestler and graduate) joined the program -- the Union Pines wrestling team has embarked on an extended trip starting off with a stay in Ohio.Once settled in this year,the Vikes will be in a four-day camp, which culminates in a tournement.

Next the group travels eastward and slightly north to Bucknell University, in Lewisberg, Pa., for another camp, before the 12-day summer sojourn concludes with two days of white water rafting fun in the New River Gorge region of W. Va.

The Pilot Sports Team has enlisted the help of Union Pines' senior wrestler Mike Brennan, to keep a trip journal so fans and readers can stay updated on how the boys' excursion is progressing.

In his junior year Mike wrestled at 160-pounds for U.P. winning the Cape Fear Valley Conference Championship and placing third in the state at the NCHSAA 3A state wrestling tournament

What follows is Mike Brennan's first entry in what will be an on-going online journal he will add to throughout UPHS Wrestling's 2011 summer camp trip:

Days 1 and 2, 8:05 p.m.

July 5th:

We arrived at the Vondruska's, in Lakewood Ohio at 6 pm Monday.
After eating and playing a little cornhole ( a game where you try to put bean bags on a board and into a hole, somewhat similar to horseshoes) we had an early night because we had a workout first thing the next morning.

July 6th:

Everyone woke up at 6:30 am, ate and we were off to Lutheran West high school for a workout. This consisted of a warm up, some stretching, a 3 mile run, followed by a 30-minute plate circuit in the weight room. All led by Coach Bartram and Coach Yezaraski.
Coach Vondruska was busy in the youth session of his camp.

Our session started at 1 pm with clinicians Logan Steiber (4x Ohio state champion now wrestling for Ohio State) and Lance Palmer (4x Ohio state champion, 4x All American, currently starting up his Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) career).

After some technique from both clinicians we did some live wrestling. Almost every wrestler got a chance to wrestle with at least one of the clinicians, bigger guys wrestled Lance and the smaller ones wrestled Logan. To top it all off, there was a dual meet held at the end between Union Pines and Avon Lake high school. We won most of those matches and headed back to the Vondruska's to eat.

-- Mike

Read Mike's second entry here