Chine ends wrestling career on high note

By John Kovach

The Fitch High grad finished with 108 career wrestling wins at Kent State.

KENT — Eric Chine of Austintown has become an important part of wrestling history at Kent State University.

The fifth-year senior capped his career with two wins in the 197-pound class of last week’s NCAA Division I tournament. He finished with 108 career wins — No. 5 all-time at the school — after passing coach Jim Andrassy’s record along the way.

The son of Jeff and Cindy Chine, Eric capped his final season with a 24-11 record and ended his career at 108-52.

But despite the impressive numbers, Chine said the highlight of his career was the redemption he gained near the end of his last season that made his NCAA-tournament dreams finally come true.

“I would probably have to say going to the national tournament and redeeming myself after not doing as well as I expected in the MAC tournament [was my career highlight],” said Chine, who was the favorite to win the MAC at 197 but instead placed fourth. “

“And to get a wild-card spot to [the NCAA meet] to end my career in the national and on a high note instead of a low note.”

Chine needed to win at the MAC to gain an automatic berth to his first NCAA meet, but after placing fourth he had to rely on his outstanding record to win him a wild-card spot from the NCAA wrestling coaches.

“What was cool was that after all automatic qualifiers made the tournament, then the NCAA wrestling coaches went to a list of wrestlers, and I had a high ranking and they picked me,” he said. “The fact that they picked me was an honor. I felt good for me to know that the NCAA coaches thought that I should be a wild-card pick.”

He was notified March 11 that he would be a wild card selection and the school record-sixth wrestler into the NCAA Championships.

In the NCAA meet, Chine’s win last Friday over Charles Silber of American University in his first match of consolation round moved him past Kurt Gross into the No. 5 KSU career wins spot.

On Thursday, Chine’s 7-6 victory over 12th-seeded Brent Jones of Virginia on a reversal in his meet-opening bout pushed him past coach Jim Andrassy’s No. 7 career wins record at KSU, and into a tie for No. 6 with Gross.

Chine’s two losses in the NCAA meet were to Jon Oplinger of Drexel, 9-8, Thursday and to Eric Lapotsky of Oklahoma, 6-2, on Friday in the fourth round of consolation of the double-elimination meet.

Chine admitted he had a bad MAC meet.

“A wrestler that I beat during the season beat me and won the [MAC] tournament, said Chine, noting that wrestling five years in college is tough.

“It’s hard being in a fifth-year program. It is really hard on your body. You have to maintain your health and keep your body in tip-top shape,” he said. But, “Having a fifth year was good. My experience pulled me through my fifth year and helped me out a lot.”

Now Chine is focusing on graduation in May and a new career as a personal athletic trainer and possibly competing in mixed martial arts. He is majoring in recreation and sports management and has about a 2.8 or 2.9 grade-point average.

“I plan to get certified in personal training in the next few weeks. I want to get into personal training and train athletes because I have been an athlete most of my life,” said Chine, who plans to take a crash course offered by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America to become a licensed personal trainer.

“When it comes to taking a crash course, experience helps. It is a weekend course, like a 3-4-day course offered by the AFAA. You get a certificate.”

Then he would like to start his own business.

“After I get a certificate, I may stick around the area for about a year, then go south. I would train anyone. I would like to focus on wrestlers and football players,” said Chine. “I may start my own business with my roommate, heavyweight Jermail Porter.”

Chine said that Porter (285) made All-American at the NCAA meet with a sixth-place finish.

“We had two All-Americans this year. The other was Nic Bedeylon (125).” said Chine. Bedeylon placed eighth.

KSU tied for 18th place.

Although Chine doesn’t plan to wrestle competitively anymore, he is very interested in using his wrestling skills to compete in mixed martial arts, and then perhaps coach down the road.

“A wrestling background will help tremendously in mixed martial arts]. A lot of wrestlers make the transition,” he said.

kovach@vindy.com