Louisiana High School Wrestling Archives

2013-14 Results and Media Coverage

Brother Martin wrestlers get three-peat

BY ROD WALKER

rwalker@theadvocate.com

Advocate photo by VERONICA DOMINACH -- Brother Martin's Mason Mauro defeated Jesuit's Nicholas Charles to win in Division I's 113-pound weight class at the Louisiana's High School State Wrestling championships Saturday at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner.

Moments after having his arm raised in victory, Brother Martin junior Paul Klein turned to the crowd and flashed three fingers in the air.

Was it for his three consecutive individual titles? Or for Brother Martin’s 3-peat?

“Both” he explained.

Klein was one of five Brother Martin wrestlers to win individual titles as the Crusaders continued their recent wrestling dominance.

The Crusaders won their third consecutive Division I state championship Saturday night at Pontchartrain Center.

“It’s gratifying because we set our sites on an undefeated season, and we’re undefeated,” Brother Martin coach Robert Dauterive said. “We beat two Tennessee state champions, and we beat the 11-time state champions in Georgia. To set your sites on an undefeated season and to accomplish it is great.”

Brother Martin was 20-0 in dual meets and won seven tournaments.

Klein defeated George Benoit of Holy Cross in the 132-pound weight class after winning in 106 as a freshman and 120 as a sophomore.

It was the third match of the season between Klein and Benoit. They split the first two matches.

“He is my toughest opponent yet,” Klein said. “It was a lot of pressure. I feel relieved. After you win one, you can’t lose again.”

While keeping his personal winning streak going was Klein’s motivation, his teammates had other motivation.

Mason Mauro, who beat Jesuit’s Nicholas Charles in the 113-pound class, won this one for his grandmother Dorothy Mauro.

“This one means so much to me because my grandmother was rushed to the hospital two days ago,” said Mauro, who won his second straight title. “She wasn’t expected to make it through the night. I told her I was going to win it for her.”

Senior Austin Meyn, winner in the 138-pound class, got revenge. He beat Baton Rouge-Catholic’s Brennan Taylor, avenging his loss from last season’s championship match.

“This means the world to me,” Meyn said about his first title. “It feels like everything has paid off. Last year I didn’t really wrestle to the best of my potential because it was my first time here. I was on empty and didn’t really come prepared last year.”

Brother Martin freshman Steven Shields set the tone early, defeating Hahnville’s Nicholas Lirette in the night’s first match (the 106-weight class.)

“I wasn’t nervous at all,” said Shields. “I came in and felt like I was really well prepared.”

While Shields started off the night, junior Yehia Riles finished it, beating Jesuit’s Guy Patron in double overtime.

“It feels unbelievable,” said Riles, who lost in the championship match last season. “I came in wanting to go to that next level. I needed to win and fix that state runner-up and change it to state champion.”

Jesuit finished second, getting championships from Ben D’Antonio (120) and Jake Eccles (170).

“Jesuit was phenomenal and really rose to the occasion, and it took everything we had to beat them,” Dauterive said.

The tournament drew an announced crowd of 13,955 over the two days. It set a new attendance record, surpassing the mark of 12,769 from last season.

That number could possibly increase next year.

Dauterive expects his team to be back again.

“Last year we were a senior-dominated team that was three years in the making that peaked early and won as juniors,” Dauterive said. “I think people expected us to step off just a little bit, but we didn’t. And we aren’t going to next year either. We are going to stay strong.”