Sportsbeat – D-Pom receives another impressive honor

by Peter Jakey

The big man has received another tremendous honor. Two-time state wrestling champ Devin Pommerenke, who is rehabilitating a bad knee before joining the Central Michigan University wrestling team next season, was one of three finalist for the Mr. Wrestler award.

Pommerenke, who had his senior season cut way too short in late January, was named the most valuable wrestler for the third year in a row at last week?s Rogers City Booster?s annual awards ceremony, but also received an additional trophy for being a finalist for Mr. Wrestler.

Connor Youtsey of Mason claimed the final prize, which is the Heisman of wrestling. Youtsey, a three-time state champ, is headed to West Point to continue his wrestling career. The award covers all four divisions. No Huron wrestler has ever received such a lofty honor, let alone one who just shed crutches that have been part of his everyday life since late January. One can only imagine what the outcome would have been if D-Pom?s knee hadn?t given out on him in Gaylord.

D-Pom was pleased to get rid of the crutches this week and continues his rehab, and not surprisingly, the big man has big plans for his collegiate career. HE?S PLEASED to be a part of CMU?s second-ranked recruiting class. The Chips have five blue chip high school wrestlers in the fold, including D-Pom. The recruiting class ranks only behind Nebraska.

He?s biking and swimming, and not in a hurry to run, but that?ll come along if he likes it or not. He wants to get back on the mat and train with the rest of the team by January or March. He?ll be in Mt. Pleasant this summer to workout and get ahead on some classes.

Late next spring, he?s looking at trying out for the Olympic team, ?to get my feet wet,? said D-Pom, for a future run in 2016. He also wants to be a part of the 2012 U.S. Open Championships. And somewhere along the way, this Huron great will get his shot at a wrestle-off, for a shot to take over the heavyweight slot at CMU, and give his community another reason to be proud.

Posen pitcher Shane Hentkowski had a great performance last Thursday in Hale that needs to be highlighted.

The senior worked four innings, and during his time on the mound, every out was a strikeout. He whiffed the first 11 in the contest, before allowing a hit. Someone remarked that Shane hit the kid?s bat, and that?s how Hale ended the no-hitter. Hentkowski came back to K the final batter, before freshman Brandon Dietz finished the final inning of a mercy-shortened contest.

Anybody remember at the beginning of the Tigers? season when catcher Alex Avila was struggling, and looked as if he was one strikeout from getting sent to Toledo. He looked absolutely overmatched during the first week of the season.

I?ve always had a favorite Tiger to rip, and at that point, Avila was at the top of my list. That was until he blasted two homers into the seats at Baltimore. He did it again Tuesday night in a thrilling win over Tampa to take the series. No only has he become the third-most reliable hitter in the line up behind Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera, but he?s become one of the best hitting catchers in the American League and deserving of our votes in the all-star balloting.

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