Montini's Goebel sets tone for senior season at Ironman
By Gary Larsen | Daily Herald 12/14/2007
Those Illinois heavyweights dreaming of winning a state title this year have one dreadful nightmare to get through first.
Defending state champion and senior Garrett Goebel of Montini may be hanging up his singlet in favor of an Ohio State football uniform next year, but he showed at last weekend's 59-team Ironman Tournament that he intends to leave a big footprint behind.
"I'll miss the meets," Goebel said of his departure from the sport. "But I probably won't miss the practices."
Montini and Glenbard North competed last weekend at the annual Ohio Ironman Tournament, held at Walsh Jesuit high school in Cuyahoga Falls. The Broncos finished ninth and the Panthers placed 17th in what many consider the toughest national tournament in the country.
Top-seeded Goebel won his second consecutive Ironman title at heavyweight after placing second at 215 as a sophomore. He posted a pair of pins before winning a 4-0 semifinal decision over fourth-seeded Nick Cook of Virginia's Fauquier High School, setting up a title match against seventh-seeded James Meder of Ohio's Parma Valley Forge High School.
"I didn't pay any attention to the seeds. Whoever you wrestle is tough," Goebel said. "Most of the guys I wrestled wanted to keep the score close, and they wrestled smart matches."
The match went into overtime tied 1-1 before Goebel threw Meder for the only takedown of a 3-1 decision. Last year Goebel used three pins to reach the final before winning it by 7-0 decision.
In two years of Ironman competition, no wrestler scored an offensive point on Goebel.
"He just has a relentless attitude, and I'm very proud of him for fighting off some rust after football but still winning that title," said Montini coach Mike Bukovsky.
. Sounds like Garrett had a tough match and hopefully Ironman's website will have the finals video available to watch this year.
