Evan Silver scores a takedown on the way to winning his fourth National Prep title. Rob Preston photo

As soon as the referees’ whistles sounded to start the first matches at the 76th National Prep Championship Tournament on Friday morning, February 25, 2011, Blair’s Joe McKenna, the #1 seed at 103 lbs, had his opponent on his back and pinned -  well, officially, Joe took 15 seconds. 

With those 2 super-quick team points for the pin and 2 more for the win, Blair leaped to the lead, which it quickly built upon, thanks especially to its dominant five lower weight wrestlers, who had 13 pins and a tech fall in their 15 bouts the first day. (All told, Blair’s 14 wrestlers had 26 pins, 2 tech falls and 2 major decisions the first day.) 

At the end of that first day, Blair had 173 team points, 49.5 more than USA No. 9 Wyoming Seminary (PA) and 88 more than then 3rd place Germantown (PA). Perhaps even more critical, Blair had 13 wrestlers assured of placing and nine in the semi-finals.

The next day saw more of the same, as Blair amassed a total of 300 team points via five National Prep Champs, two seconds, a third, a fourth, a fifth, a seventh and two eighths. Second-place Wyoming Seminary was well back with 194 points and one champ, while third-place Archbishop Spalding (MD) had 129.5 points and one champ.

Blair’s 2011 National Prep champs were freshman Joe McKenna at 103 lbs, senior Evan Silver at 112 lbs, junior Mark Grey at 125 lbs, junior Todd Preston at 130 lbs and sophomore Brooks Black at 285 lbs.

For Evan Silver, it was his fourth National Prep championship, making him just the fifth wrestler to accomplish that feat while at Blair. (In chronological order, the others have been John Giacche, Cory Cooperman, Travis Blasco and Chris Villalonga.)

For junior Mark Grey, it was the third National Prep title, and for fellow junior Todd Preston it was the second National Prep crown. 

By virtue of winning all their bouts by fall and placing first, Joe McKenna and Mark Grey won the Major Ray Mendoza Award for earning the most team points. Established in the 2009-2010 season, this prestigious award is named after Blair wrestler Ray Mendoza, Class of 1987, who was killed in action in Iraq in 2005, and is given only by Ironman, Beast of the East and National Preps. Mark Grey became the first wrestler in America to win the Mendoza Award twice, having captured it at the 2010 Beast of the East in December. 

Blair’s 2nd place finishers at the 2011 National Preps were senior Caleb Richardson at 119 lbs and freshman Dylan Milonas at 145 lbs. 

Sophomore Frank Mattiache placed 3rd at 189 lbs, while fellow sophomore Addison Knepshield placed 4th at 171 lbs.

Freshman Pat Coover placed 5th at 152 lbs, losing only to two seniors who placed 3rd and 4th at his weight.

Senior Willie Wilson placed 7th at 215 lbs, finishing with a bang as he pinned in his final Blair bout. Juniors Abe Ayala and Mike Mocco placed eighth at 135 lbs and 160 lbs, respectively, Mike having to default his final matches because of a knee re-injury. 

Blair’s consecutive run as the National Prep ultimate team champion began in 1981, making the 2011 title its 31st in a row. As an aside, Blair’s other National Prep team title came in 1974. 

To put Blair’s 31-year National Prep championship streak in perspective, we note that in “The Standard of Excellence,” the encyclopedic hard-cover book published in January concerning the Blair wrestling program, the next longest streak in the USA in end-of-season tournaments, meaning state or National Prep championships, is currently 22 consecutive years by Mt Anthony Union in Vermont. 

Among the better-known programs in larger wrestling states, the 13-year steak by St Edward (OH) from 1997 through 2009 and the 12-year streak by Granby (VA) from 1960 through 1971, when it was coached by Wrestling Hall of Fame legend Billy Martin, are often viewed as meaningful standards.

As Blair looks to upcoming seasons, it can take great comfort in knowing that next year alone, it returns four 2011 National Prep Champs, ten 2011 place winners and two others who placed in 2010, including one wrestler who was 2nd in 2010 and did not wrestle in the 2011 tournament. In addition to these 12 returning place winners are other national-caliber talents in the Blair wrestling room, waiting for their turns at the dance. 

Editor's Note: Dave Ritterpusch wrote the excellent book "The Standard of Excellence," a chronicle of the history of Blair Academy wrestling.

2011 NATIONAL PREP TOURNAMENT
February 25 –26, 2011
Stabler Arena, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

2011 Prep National Individual Champions
103 lbs: Joe McKenna, Freshman, Blair Academy (NJ)
112 lbs: Evan Silver, Senior, Blair Academy (NJ)
119 lbs: Dom Malone, Junior, Wyoming Seminary (PA)
125 lbs: Mark Grey, Junior, Blair Academy (NJ)
130 lbs: Todd Preston, Junior, Blair Academy (NJ)
135 lbs: Chris Yankowich, Junior, Germantown (PA)
140 lbs: Evan Henderson, Senior, Kiski (PA)
145 lbs: Charlie Lynch, Senior, Archbishop Spalding (MD)
152 lbs: Marcus Cain, PG, Northfield Mt. Hermon (NH)
160 lbs: Bobby Burg, Senior, Mercersburg (PA)
171 lbs: Matt Miller, Senior, John Carroll (MD)
189 lbs: Nicholas Kidd, Senior, Northfield Mt Hermon (NH)
215 lbs: Kyle Snyder, Freshman, Good Counsel (MD)
285 lbs: Brooks Black, Sophomore, Blair Academy (NJ)

Top 10 Final Team Scores
1. Blair Academy  (NJ), 300 pts.
2. Wyoming Seminary (PA), 194 pts.
3. Archbishop Spalding (MD), 129.5 pts.
4. Germantown (PA), 123 pts.
5. Northfield Mt. Hermon (NH), 105.5 pts.
6. Kiski School (PA), 98.5 pts.
7. St Benedicts Prep (NJ), 97.5 pts.
8. McDonogh (MD), 96 pts.
9. Good Counsel (MD), 91 pts.
10. St Pauls (MD), 84 pts.