Pallotti’s Mansur Abdul-Malik breaks through at Beast of the East; Eleanor Roosevelt develops into a contender

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/pallottis-mansur-abdul-malik-breaks-through-at-beast-of-the-east-eleanor-roosevelt-develops-into-a-contender/2015/12/23/58f3fd2e-a9ab-11e5-8058-480b572b4aae_story.html

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Mansur Abdul-Malik had never been here before. A seasoned wrestler with plenty of experience in national tournaments, Abdul-Malik finds comfort under the spotlight of big events, but the Pallotti junior had never been to the University of Delaware. He’d never competed in Beast of the East, where 41 highly touted heavyweights awaited him in one of the country’s most prestigious high school showcases.

Yet even as he stretched among the 800 grapplers competing for 14 individual titles, Abdul-Malik knew that no one was going to beat him.

“I was expecting to win,” he said. “I went into the tournament thinking I’m going to go dominate these guys, and I’m going to come out on top.”

Abdul-Malik’s confidence produced more than empty words. The Pallotti standout won all five of his matches last weekend to capture the 285-pound crown, making him the only local wrestler to top the Beast of the East podium this year.

[Individual and team wrestling rankings for Dec. 23]

Despite his unfettered confidence, this was no routine victory. After vanquishing Matoaca High’s Anthony Helm in the heavyweight final and hugging his teammates, Abdul-Malik burst into tears. He wasn’t shocked to win the event; he was just emboldened to win even bigger events down the line.

“Even though this isn’t the National Preps, he knows the National Preps are now on the horizon for the end of the season,” Pallotti Coach Rob Nusum said.

Indeed, the triumph boosted Pallotti’s hope for Abdul-Malik to become the school’s second National Prep Wrestling champion, the first since Tim Jennings went undefeated in 2005. Abdul-Malik’s unmatched work ethic is molding a skill set that is equal parts powerful and nimble. As witnesses of his emergence, Nusum and company expect their prized heavyweight to emerge with conference, state and national titles in February.

Abdul-Malik’s unique blend of quickness and power was on full display in the 285-pound final against Helm. At 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, Abdul-Malik often gives up considerable size in his heavyweight matches, no more so than against the hulking three-time Virginia 5A South region champion from Richmond. Even the announcers couldn’t help pointing out the apparent size mismatch.

Tied 3-3 late in the third period, Helm wrapped his massive frame around Abdul-Malik and took hold of his ankle, but the fourth-seeded Pallotti grappler slithered away and executed a reversal with eight seconds left to secure a 5-3 win.

“With each wrestling match I try to improve on everything that I do,” said Abdul-Malik, who verbally committed to Maryland three weeks ago. “I don’t just take opportunities in practice to get better; I take opportunities in matches to get better. So in each one I try to do a little bit more, do a little bit better and improve each time.” . . . .

Westfield senior Jay Aiello placed fifth at Beast of the East, making him the first wrestler in school history to place in the event. Aiello, the ninth seed in the 195-pound field and an All-Met football player for the Bulldogs, won his first three matches before running into top-seeded Chase Singletary from Blair, who went on to lose in the championship match.

Following his defeat, Aiello rattled off three more wins in the consolation bracket before falling to eventual third-place finisher Kevin Mulligan, the No. 2 seed in the field.

The 220-pound La Plata wrestler pinned underneath Chibueze Onwuka personified the progression of Eleanor Roosevelt’s wrestling team.

At the Warrior Duals on Saturday, Onwuka – a defending Prince George’s County wrestling champion – scored a first-period fall against the host team, putting the Raiders up by a point in a dual meet with one of the top teams in Southern Maryland.

The Warriors forfeited the next match before Caleb Wheeler scored a major decision to give Roosevelt an 11-point lead with two bouts left. The Warriors needed pins from Mike Bellerose and Jack Chipps to escape with a 36-35 win.

The loss and the falls were disappointing, but Raiders Coach Sean Schmaltz was still encouraged. Eleanor Roosevelt went 4-4 at the tournament.

“That’s kind of unheard of for us to be able to go and wrestle with someone like La Plata,” Schmaltz said. “We’re making steady progress. The goal is to have everybody peaking at the right time.”

[Individual and team wrestling rankings for Dec. 23]

In his first year as head coach after joining the team as an assistant last year, Schmaltz said he thinks the Raiders have the potential to produce the first individual state champion in school history.

Parkdale won its fourth straight county wrestling title last winter, but Schmaltz said Roosevelt had the most individual champions with Onwuka – who placed fourth in the Maryland 4A/3A state tournament last season – three-time state qualifier Ricky Bryant (12-0), Eugene Latson (12-0) and Juwan Rodriquez. All four are returning seniors.

Schmaltz, a former captain of the Purdue wrestling team, moved to the area to pursue his career in mortgage banking. He wanted to get back into the sport and had a flexible schedule working from home, so he began reaching out to area wrestling teams.

In Prince George’s County, Schmaltz has found most of his athletes enter high school with little wrestling experience. He said Athletic Director Tom Green, a former high school wrestler, has been a huge supporter, allowing Schmaltz to address the football team about the benefits of wrestling and recruit from his roster.

“We do tend to get better athletes, but that mat time can really make a huge difference when you come up against a high-level opponent,” Schmaltz said.

“We need to as a county come together and start having all the coaches pull together so we can start kids wrestling at a younger age. . . . I definitely think we are trending as a county in the right direction.”