Baldwin grinds out some success

It has not been the easiest season for the Baldwin wrestling team. Injuries and illnesses prevented the Bruins from sending out a full lineup for most of the second half of their schedule, making dual meets a difficult task for the squad.

But despite the amount of adversity Baldwin has faced in recent weeks, the team was still able to find some success last Saturday at the Nassau County Qualifying Tournament hosted by Long Beach. Seven of the Bruins’ wrestlers were able to place in the seven-team event. 

Desmond Kelly, Jack Thibault, Steve Banegas, John Quinn, Chris Debique, Juan Ventura and Dennis Feeney all finished in the top six in their respective weight class. Three from that group guaranteed themselves a place at this weekend’s county championship tournament at Hofstra, by placing in the top four.

Kelly was the top performer for Baldwin, making it to the finals at 145 pounds, and earning a second-place finish. According to the school’s Athletic Director Ed Ramirez, the senior has been a standout for the team all season long.

“He’s really had a good year,” Ramirez said. “He’s stepped it up in terms of his performance and leadership.”

Also earning spots at Hofstra were Jack Thibault, who took third place at 138, and first-year wrestler Steve Banegas, who finished fourth at 285.

Ramirez says the program is also expecting senior John Quinn to represent Baldwin at the county tournament. Quinn placed fifth at the qualifying tourney, and will likely earn a wild-card spot.

While Baldwin, as a team, didn’t fulfill its potential, Ramirez still views the qualifier as a success. He says the coaches and kids in the program realize that it’s not just about this season, but about gaining experience for the future as well.

“We try and keep things in perspective,” Ramirez said. “We’re a very young team, and we’re hoping to build off of this. Obviously we would have liked to get more kids in, but we realize that this year for a lot of our kids is a learning experience.”

As for the four wrestlers who are expected to represent Baldwin starting this Friday morning at Hofstra, Ramirez believes they are capable of big things. “We feel like if they wrestle at their top levels, that we can place a couple of guys in the county tournament,” he explained.

This campaign has gone far from smoothly for the Bruins, with youth and injuries preventing the squad from having much success during the final stretch of season. But Ramirez and coach Jim Murphy have seen some terrific individual performances during the last month.

“Within those dual meets we showed some great flashes of improvement,” Ramirez said. “We’re getting better, and for us the object is to get better every time we step up on the mat, and hopefully be in a position next year to be much better.”

The Nassau County semifinals and finals will take place Sunday at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.