Audi gets 100th win on senior night

The Poland Seminary Grapplers faced off against the Liberty Leopards for their last home match of the year on senior night and won with a score of 57-15. Senior Mike Audi became the first wrestler in the team’s history to reach a milestone of 100 career wins.

Audi and two of his friends, Abe Kassem and Joel Miller, started their varsity careers as freshman on the newly formed team and convinced fellow classmate Bill Brundage to join the squad his sophomore year. Together they have helped Poland become one of the top wrestling schools in Northeast Ohio and win their E.O.W.L. Division Championship the past two years in a row, going 15-2 last season.

“It’s been a tough year keeping them healthy, but their leadership has helped us both on and off the mat,” said coach Tony Stellato.

The Bulldogs have been struggling with injuries as last year’s District qualifier and four-year letter winner Abe Kassem is returning from a back injury that made him miss the first half of the season along with three-year letter earner Brundage and four-year letter earner Miller both battling shoulder injuries.

Senior Mike Audi, one of the top ranked wrestlers in the state, has remained healthy and was riding a high after pinning his opponent from Liberty in 45 seconds to earn his 100th career win.

“When I was a freshman, I would never have dreamed of winning 100 matches, but to be able to do it at home on senior night, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.” said Audi.

Audi is currently 14-2 on the year and hopes to make another run for the podium in Columbus this February.