OHS wrestler battles disability and wins matches

by Angie Asam. Staff Writer

Onaway High School junior Jake Saylor, who wrestles for the Cardinals at 103 pounds and battles cerebral palsy, earned his first competitive wins Jan. 9 at the Gaylord Junior Varsity invitational when he defeated a young man from Sault Ste. Marie, not once, but three times that day.

?It makes it all worthwhile. When you have wrestlers who compete at the highest level and then Jake does what he does it keeps it in perspective. It reminds you what it is really all about,? said OHS wrestling coach Mark Grant.

Saylor joined the wrestling team as a sophomore and has won many matches via the void as many teams are without 103-pound wrestlers. Saylor goes to practice every day and works hard.

The Onaway coaching staff have been working on developing a style that works specifically for him and his abilities and according to coach Grant he works pretty aggressively at it. Saylor is very supportive of his teammates, as are they of him.

Last Thursday Onaway hosted a Straits Area Conference quad meet and Saylor again earned a competitive win. Wrestling his familiar opponent from Sault Ste. Marie, Saylor kept the match 0-0 going into the third period. In the final period Saylor earned the takedown and was then able to turn the Sault wrestler on his back for the pin and six team points for the Cardinals.

Cerebral palsy is a condition sometimes thought of a group of disorders that can involve brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, h

earing, seeing and thinking. Saylor walks with a limp and thus has a little bit different time working on the mat for a takedown; his technique involves getting very low to the ground, not exposing his legs to his opponent while allowing him a chance to work for the takedown. Every wrestler has their own style of doing things, however, in overcoming physical disabilities Saylor has a much different style.

The Cardinals are gearing up for the post-season as they will be in Rogers City for the Straits Area Conference meet Saturday, a meet where Saylor will probably see his familiar Sault opponent again.

When asked about what it meant to him to have someone like Saylor on his team coach Grant hesitated a moment to think of the right words to say, but no doubt gave the impression that having Saylor on the team and watching him win was a special moment for Grant and his team as well as Saylor.