LaSalle High School wrestling team 2005-06 award winners include (front, from left) Shawn Cowell and Derek Marshall; (back) Sam Fitzpatrick, Michael Green, Assistant Coach Chris Marshall, Head Coach Harvey Bentley, Jesse Becker, and James Sayles. Senior Michael Green and junior Sam Fitzpatrick were named Most Valuable Wrestlers during the annual awards banquet to honor the 2005-06 LaSalle High School (LHS) wrestling team Friday, March 10.

Green, in the 160-weight class, closed out his outstanding career with a 51-7 mark and finished third at the Upper Peninsula State Individual Finals while posting 152 victories during his four-year career at LHS.

Fitzpatrick, competing at 119, recorded a 40-14 record and placed second at the U.P. State Finals. He has registered 109 wins in three years, with one season remaining in his high school career.

Sophomores Shawn Cowell and Derek Marshall shared the Josh Brown Memorial Most Improved Award. Cowell (140) tallied a 32-18 record and Marshall (171) was 1426 on the season.

Junior James Sayles and sophomore Jesse Becker received the Rob Matelski Memorial Coaches Award. Sayles (HWT) was 28-12 on the year and Becker (140) went 12-8.

Remaining members of the team and their records include seniors Rob Sayles (189) 21-21, Stuart Zimmerman (125) 22-21, Ryan Saunders (152) 15-19, and A.J. Miller (145) 13-20; juniors Colin Chan (135) 20-22, Mario Calcaterra (130) 14-25, and Lee Kelso (189) 813; sophomores Brandon Garries (112) 30-12, Nate Tamlyn (189) 108, and Tom Krause (215) 6-20; and freshmen Mike McNeely (103) 2916, Tyler Oja (103) 21-11, Robbie Robinson (112) 12-7, Eric Brown (112) 10-5, Matt Arthur (103) 9-2, Stefan Saffian (145) 8-8, Kaiden Shiemke (112) 7-1, Bill Grogan (130) 6-3, Alan Honeycutt (125) 43, and Nick Gould (130) 2-8.

"This was one of the largest teams, number wise (26) in the history of the program," said Coach Harvey Bentley. "Overall we had a successful program with a 444-330 record for all the wrestlers. We graduate four seniors, but we have 22 returning athletes returning for next season."

Seniors include Michael Green, Stuart Zimmerman, A.J. Miller, and Ryan Saunders. LaSalle Wrestling Program

Continues To Grow

With Confidence, Discipline

The LaSalle High School wrestling program has been led by just three coaches during its 30plus year history, and is one of the smallest schools to offer the sport, which is sanctioned by the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

John Evashevski became the first coach for the Saints, putting together a club program during the 1974-75 school year and starting a regulation squad for the 1975-76 season.

Richard Marshall, alumnus of LHS, coached for one year before Evashevski returned to compile 26 years on the mat sidelines. During the last five years, Harvey Bentley, LHS alumnus, has led St. Ignace.

During the illustrious history of wrestling at LHS, 11 grapplers have earned their way into the Century Club with 100 or more victories, 10 have captured Upper Peninsula Individual All-Class State championships, 82 were Upper Peninsula medallists, and 53 registered Michigan Huron Shores Conference and Straits Area Conference individual titles.

Family tradition, dedication, and coaches have been the three most important factors to the success of wrestling for the Saints program.

"Coach Evashevski and assistant coach Mike Lehto were very instrumental in my development, along with my parents as a student athlete," said Coach Bentley, who graduated from LHS in 1982. "The two coaches and parents taught me self discipline, independence, and the drive to make myself better as an athlete and person, and I hope that I have used the same formula with the wrestlers that have come through the program while I have been the coach."

Wrestling is a sport in which individuals get results based on what they put into it. Team scoring is kept, but the athlete is one against one on the mat, and that is when confidence and self-discipline will take over. The 2005-06 St. Ignace team suffered a disappointing defeat in the district finals, but overall the Saints registered a very successful season and will return with a strong nucleus.