THE WILDCATS’ OUTSTANDING SENIOR WRESTLER IS AMONG 19 SAINT IGNATIUS STUDENTS WHO MADE THEIR FUTURE EDUCATIONS AND ATHLETIC CAREERS OFFICIAL BY SIGNING THEIR NCAA LETTERS OF INTENT.
DICAMILLO WAS AS CONVINCED ON WEDNESDAY AS HE WAS WHEN HE SHARED HIS VERBAL COMMITMENT WITH THE CORNER BACK IN THE EARLY FALL THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA IS THE MOST WELL-ROUNDED SCHOOL HE COULD HAVE CHOSEN.
*FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF THE WILDCATS’ STUDENT ATHLETES WHO TOOK PART IN THE NCAA’S NATIONAL SIGNING DAY AND THE UNIVERSITIES OR COLLEGES THEY HAVE CHOSEN, GO TO THE ATHLETICS WEB SITE.
BY EDDIE DWYER
They sat on the stage in The Breen Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday afternoon and, displaying the same calm and confidence they bring to their respective sports, officially declared their commitments to colleges and universities throughout the nation.
And no one among Saint Ignatius’ 19 student/athletes was more confident or grounded about his decision than nationally acclaimed wrestler George DiCamillo ‘12.
“It’s really nice to have it over with,” said DiCamillo, just moments after he officially committed to Virginia and the Cavaliers’ outstanding wrestling program. “A lot of my friends are stressing over the college process and waiting for letters to come back. It’s nice to have all of the hard work I put in, all of the weight cutting and everything, pay off.”
George’s exceptional work ethic comes naturally, as his dad, Ralph, was an outstanding wrestler at Benedictine and is currently a top assistant for Mark Sullivan, the head wrestling coach at Saint Ignatius. Ralph and Mary Lou DiCamillo were among the many proud parents in attendance Wednesday afternoon.
Currently ranked as the top 120-pounder in the nation, DiCamillo is on a school-best 61-match winning streak, which is one of the top all-time marks in Ohio, and also holds the Wildcats’ record for career victories with 139. Those 61 consecutive victories date back to the end of George’s sophomore season.
After going 35-0 last season and winning Ohio’s 112-pound state championship, DiCamillo is in position to become Saint Ignatius’ only two-time undefeated state champion.
“You go on every day and go to practice just to win the next match,” DiCamillo said. “You could look at those things (being a two-time unbeaten state champ), but I try not to. Anything can happen in the sport of wrestling. You could get thrown on your back in the first 10 seconds of the match and get pinned.
“The ultimate goal that Coach Sullivan has been putting into our heads is that everything is just a stepping stone to the state tournament.”
A young man with a maturity beyond his years, DiCamillo possesses qualities that truly make him an additional coach in the ‘Cats’ wrestling room. You can hear the pride in George’s every word and see the determination in his eyes when he talks about the progress that has been made this season by Jimmy Ferritto at 106 pounds, Nick Lees at 152, Anthony McLaughlin at 170 and of course, the talented Tommy Zeigler at 113. George is genuinely excited about the achievements by his teammates and the future of Saint Ignatius wrestling.
No matter what the future brings, it is obvious DiCamillo is prepared to face the challenges and will truly be a “Man for Others.”
And, as far as having his priorities in order and staying grounded, you only have to hear how George summed up his National Signing Day.
“It’s not even about how they (the Virginia Cavaliers) are doing this year as a wrestling team,” he said. “Just looking in and seeing the difference academically between the schools I considered, obviously Virginia’s academics are superb. Just to have the privilege to go there and come out of there with a degree hopefully, it’s huge. It’s really a big stepping stone in my life.”
****NOTE: COACH SULLIVAN WILL GUIDE GEORGE AND HIS TEAMMATES AGAINST THE LAKE CATHOLIC COUGARS ON FRIDAY, FEB. 10 AT 7 P.M.: The night will feature George’s final match at Sullivan Gymnasium. It would be great to see a strong student-body turnout for George and the rest of the upcoming Wildcats wrestlers as they gear up for the postseason tournament. It what should be a memorable weekend at Sullivan Gym, the following night the St. Edward Eagles will be at West 30th and Lorain for the second of the home-and-home basketball series with the ‘Cats.
****FOR THE CORNER’S PREVIEW ON THIS WEEK’S VARSITY BASKETBALL GAMES AGAINST GLENVILLE AND PERRYSBURG, ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER ‘CAT TALES, SEE THE STORY BELOW.