Mark Kolmer walked off the mat a year ago feeling as if he just got embarrassed. Perhaps more than any Emporia High wrestler competing at the State tournament this weekend, Kolmer has a score to settle.
He won’t be able to settle it directly with Romero Cotton, the Hutchinson wrestler who used a dramatic momentum swing to roll to a 19-7 major decision over Kolmer in the 189-pound championship bout at last year’s Class 5A State tournament at Hutch. Cotton, a four-time State champion, completed his high school career with that match.
What Kolmer, now ranked No. 1 in Class 5A at 189 pounds, can do is earn redemption for himself. He’s lost just once all year against 35 victories, and he figured to be the favorite to win this year’s title at 189 as the State tournament began today at the Kansas Coliseum in Valley Center. Getting that done would put out a fire that’s been smoldering deep inside Kolmer’s psyche ever since Feb. 23 of last year.
“I know he was real good, and it just wasn’t my day,” Kolmer said. “And I put that in the back of my head for this year. That’s one thing that’s really stuck out, and I’m not gonna forget until things have changed.”
The big swing came on a nullified takedown. Cotton was leading 5-1 in the second period when Kolmer took him down near the outside of the ring. The scoreboard changed to 5-3 before the head referee blew the whistle to signal that Kolmer and Cotton were out of bounds. As they came back to center ring, the second referee stopped the match to talk Kolmer’s takedown over with the lead ref. The final decision: the takedown had come outside the ring and wouldn’t count. The score was still 5-1.
From there, Cotton dominated. He put together four straight takedowns to take a 13-4 lead by the end of the second period, then added three more takedowns in the third for a 19-7 final.
It’s likely Kolmer was destined to finish second last year anyway; Cotton, after all, completed a 41-0 senior campaign with his championship-bout win. But the way the match fell apart for Kolmer, after the takedown was taken away, isn’t something that’s sat well with him for the last 12 months.
“I just don’t want to be embarrassed like that again,” he said. “(I’ll) really keep that in the back of my head for when things get close and things aren’t always the best.”
“I think that’s been motivation since the time he walked off the mat,” Emporia coach Greg Buckbee added. “Absolutely, he’s gonna use that.”
Kolmer’s a year older now — although still just a junior — and this year, he’s the guy to beat. After finishing sixth at State as a freshman before his second-place finish as a sophomore, he hopes he can take the next step and place himself on the middle medal stand after Saturday’s championship match.
“I know I’m definitely coming along right now,” he said last Saturday after winning the 189-pound Regional championship at EHS. “I know my wind’s good, and everything’s clicking, I think.”
His first round opponent Friday will be Brandon Pate, a sophomore from Winfield with an 18-18 season mark. Kolmer’s quarterfinal opponent, with a defeat of Pate, would be either Hutchinson senior Dakota Sherry (26-14) or Washington senior Kevin Slowter (22-7). Sherry is ranked No. 4 in the State.
A potential semifinal opponent could be Liberal senior Nate Davis, ranked No. 5. The rest of the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association’s Top 6 is on the other side of the bracket. So Kolmer wouldn’t face second-ranked Aron Elsen of Great Bend (24-5), third-ranked Nathan Wessel of Lansing (30-3) or Seaman’s Steven Cooksley (22-6), ranked No. 6, until the championship bout. Kolmer beat Cooksley by a 3-0 decision in the Regional championship match last Saturday.
Kolmer and his 12 teammates heading to Valley Center want to become the team that ends an individual-championship drought of five years and a team-championship drought of nine. Emporia High has nine team State titles.
“It’d be double digits for us,” Kolmer said, “and that’d be real big, and we’re looking forward to that.”
INSIDE
A quick look at all 13 Spartans competing at State this weekend, Page 11
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railroadhorn (anonymous) says...
I hope this story didn't put too much pressure on Mark. I've known him since he was a kid and sometimes think he's a victim of his own success. I'm hoping he'll come home with a third place finish and will learn to talk less and focus more.
February 28, 2009 at 3:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )