Parkersburg South grad and GSU powerhouse Quiocho a national champion | News, Sports, Jobs

Glenville State’s 133-pound Gavin Quiocho, observed right here earlier this year, won the school’s initially national wrestling championship on final Saturday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Photo courtesy of Glenville State University Athletics)

PARKERSBURG — Final Saturday at the NCAA Division II wrestling championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Glenville State University sophomore Gavin Quiocho walked off the mat inside Alliant Power PowerHouse with a four-three national title victory at 133 pounds just after topping Chadron State’s Quentrevion Campbell.

The former Parkersburg South wrestler and Robert Dutton Award winner capped off his 39-five campaign by becoming the Pioneers’ initially national champion as effectively as the initially All-American.

“He did a truly fantastic job of riding and becoming stingy,” mentioned GSU head coach Dylan Cottrell, who watched Quiocho earn his winning point by means of riding time. “If you would’ve told me or Gavin final year that he’d won a national title and it was going to be on riding time we would’ve laughed.

“We worked a lot acquiring greater at best and becoming capable to ride. That is what we worked on all season. Coach (Jonathan) Andreatta place a lot of time in and he place a lot of time in as effectively. Dropping down to 133 created it less complicated for the reason that he’s not wrestling six-foot tall guys who have leverage on him.”

Quiocho, who opened final year at 157 prior to settling in at 149, was joined in the finals by heavyweight Jared Campbell, who had to settle for runner-up honors as he capped a 32-two campaign.

The Pioneers completed ninth as a group. Guy Deleonardis (165) and Cole Houser (184) lost in the blood round and have been each and every a victory away from becoming All-Americans. GSU 141-pounder Ethan Hardy went -two at nationals.

“I feel we have been in fact much more confident with Jared producing the finals rather than Gavin,” admitted coach Cottrell of his pair of No. three seeds. “Jared had a excellent run and had the returning national champ in the quarters and he beat him poor.”

Soon after returning to Glenville, Quiocho mentioned “I gave my physique a handful of days of rest, but I got back to it Thursday. Lifting and wrestling and beginning to get much more into strategy to increase subsequent season.”

Being aware of he wanted to compete in a reduced weight class, Quiocho set his objective and mentioned he came back to campus final fall weighing about 150 pounds.

“What I did fundamentally was I took that lengthy preseason acquiring down to a manageable weight exactly where I could get inside striking distance,” added the Pioneer.

“To get down each and every week I’d have to run at least two occasions a day on best of practice and lifts, and at most if I necessary to 4 occasions a day. It was a grind.”

The ex-Patriot admitted the most tricky aspect of it all was the mental side of issues rather than the physical.

“A large factor this year was just trusting in God, believing in myself and the education I was performing,” Quiocho mentioned. “Mental-sensible, I have under no circumstances felt so fantastic.

“I was under no circumstances nervous for any of my matches this year. I was calm, had a clear thoughts and it truly helped my wrestling to figure out the mental aspect of issues.”

With two years nevertheless remaining at Glenville State, Quiocho unquestionably has a vibrant future. His coach is hoping to challenge for a national group championship in the not as well distant future.

“The begin of the season our group objective was a best ten finish at NCAAs,” Cottrell mentioned. “Did I feel that was going to occur? I believed we have been much more in the breaking into the best 15 group this year, but we had a truly fantastic tournament. You under no circumstances know with these issues for the reason that they are so close. I knew we could be best ten if we wrestled truly effectively and we did. We had a excellent weekend. That is what we want to do each and every year. I had a D1 guy come in currently (Friday) from WVU and I got some other truly fantastic D2 guys coming in the subsequent two weeks.

“Hunter DeLong (174) and Cole Houser are graduating and we’re operating to fill these two holes initially. We got a lot coming back and we are truly excited about some of the guys who didn’t get to wrestle this year. Hardy, Quiocho, Campbell and Guy are back. Jordan Williams has been nationally-ranked the final two years and occurred to catch an injury this year. We anticipate to begin subsequent year as a best 5 group in the nation.”

Regardless of possessing a higher degree of achievement at Parkersburg South, moving to the D2 ranks and adjusting to the expectations in the matroom took some time to get adjusted to.

“I would say the largest factor is in college our coaches are excellent, just like in higher college, but they have a tiny much more emphasis on what we need to have to do individually,” Quiocho mentioned. “That’s nearly what it is all about. Soon after wins and losses we are constantly enhancing on each and every match primarily based off issues that we necessary to do greater or alter up, and that is what we’d function on all week.

“Compared to higher college, we educated truly tough and we have been at the best for the reason that of how tough we worked. In college, you have some older guys and you can not truly do that intensity like we did in higher college for the entirety of the year. There’s a large distinction in peaking at the correct time. In college, that is a large aspect. When you are in higher college you are a kid and you are young and you can train as tough as you can and your physique nevertheless may really feel fantastic.”

Following his Saturday morning semifinal triumph, Quiocho had about a seven hour gap prior to it was time to go for a national championship.

“Basically what I did in that time to prepare myself was to clear my thoughts, not even feel about wrestling. Just acquiring rested,” he mentioned. “I didn’t even watch like film on him. The only tiny bit of factor I knew about him was he likes to go large so just watch out for the throws.

“I just really feel truly grateful for the system that I’ve been led to and the coaches I’ve been led to. Specifically our assistant coach (Andreatta). He was the 133-pound national champ (at Adams State) final year. He truly helped me out this year. It is just been a truly thankful encounter.”

Speak to Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

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