By Tim Tushla, W.I.N. Writer

Even the most seasoned beachcomber probably did a double take as 1,000 wrestlers descended on the Myrtle Beach, S.C., shore for the National High School Coaches Association National Open Championships.

The mid-June event, a first for this eastern seaboard state, proved to be a hit.

“I think it has been a tremendous event. To my knowledge this is the first time there has been a major national wrestling event in the state of South Carolina,” said Joe Boardwine, associate executive director of the NHSCA. “It was kind of an experiment to have it here but it seems to have been a big success.”

Over 40 states were represented in the competition. Pennsylvania used a strong performance in the younger age groups and won its third straight all-division championship and crowned 14 individual champions.

Runner-up Georgia won four titles in the high school division, as the southeastern states won 10 of the 14 weight classes.

And for those from some of the traditional wrestling states, there are worse places to be in early summer than Myrtle Beach.

“We are real happy here at Myrtle Beach. All the coaches we surveyed seem to really enjoy it and the parents, wrestlers and support staff has embraced the event,” Bob Ferrara, executive director of the NHSCA noted.

And the plan right now is to keep things just as they are for the near future. A few scheduling issues are yet to be worked out, but the overwhelming sentiment is the tourney will stay put.

“I know this year we are conflicting with school getting out in New York and New Jersey,” said Boardwine. “We want to make sure that doesn’t happen again next year so we need to work with the convention center on dates for a five-year deal.”

Another part of the plan is to make more in-state athletes aware of the scope and significance of the NHSCA Open. Less than 50 local athletes participated.

“Now that it’s here and now that this opportunity exists for them, I think we will get those numbers up a lot,” said Boardwine. “And I want to give a special thank you to John Morello from Ainer High School in South Carolina. He was a critical piece in helping this work with the event management.”

Wrestlers qualified for the event by finishing in the top four at one of over 150 qualifying tournaments held nationwide, in the top six in the NHSCA Pre-Season Wrestling Championships last fall or in the top six in the Ohio Tournament of Champions, the Tulsa Nationals or the Reno World Championships.

Wrestlers who have qualified for or competed in the National High School Wrestling Championships in the past — the Senior, Junior or Sophomore Divisions — also were eligible to compete. In addition, all members of teams finishing in the top four at the National Duals also were qualified to enter.

Just as important to the success of any event are the coaches and clubs that see the value of going beyond your comfort zone and tackling new challenges.

“I like taking kids to the next level and the next level is not just wrestling kids from Florida,” noted Joe Van Vactor, director of NHSCA wrestling for Florida and coach of the North Florida Wrestling Club. “Each state has their own style. That’s why I like bringing them. I like the folkstyle competition the NHSCA provides.”

One of the key contributing clubs to a state championship was the Ragin’ Raisins of northwestern Pennsylvania.

According to Club President Jason Mocke, the relatively new club thrives on input from the kids themselves to get motivated and keep the attention level high. The unique name and team colors stem from some local flavor.

“We’re from wine country. Welch’s is in our hometown — Northeast — right outside of Erie, PA,” said Mocke. “We are a small community that has maybe 10 or 12 wineries. The kids came up with the colors and the design. Grapes and wine and raisins.”

The club is headquartered at Mercyhurst Northeast Junior College.

“This is our third year. We have 150 kids in our club from Districts 9 and 10 in the northwestern PA region,” said Mocke. “We like to have a lot of fun. Our colors are loud and people notice us. These are the colors of grapes: pink, green and purple.”

The Open also provides some unique opportunities for student athletes. Take the case of 14 year-old Jason Luster. The Atlanta, Ga., wrestler and eighth grader is a home-school student. In the state of Georgia, as in many states, middle-school and junior high students are not allowed to compete at the high school level.

So Luster bides his time and takes advantage of NHSCA events.

“I don’t wrestle during the season in Georgia,” he said. “I wrestle at national events. They give me the best opportunity and competition.”

That formula worked well for him at the NHSCA preseason event in October, where he won the high school division. He followed that up with an injury default win for the 140-pound title in Myrtle Beach.

L.J. Helbig is one of those athletes who craves the competition. He was also looking for a little redemption after a second-place finish at the Michigan high school championship. So losing was not an option in his overtime final with North Carolina state champion Anthony Clinton.

“I am so happy that I won the championship. This is amazing,” said Helbig. “I hate runner-up. It’s a terrible feeling. I’d rather take third or fourth than be runner-up. My dad always told me, no matter who they are, you’ve got to believe in yourself and go out there and do it.”

Helbig overcame much more than just a runner-up moniker. He is also deaf, which means he can’t hear his coach, his teammates or the referee. He notifies officials before his matches to move their hands in front of his face or tap him since he can’t hear the whistle.

“I can’t even hear people cheering for me,” noted Helbig.

“But I know they are.”

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