Triad’s Bakarich Named All-Metro

By Mark Jurgena

 

Triad wrestling senior Garrett Bakarich has been named to the All-Metro 2nd team by stltoday.com.

Bakarich finished the year with a 43-2 record and placed third in the Class 2A state wrestling meet. He went 4-1 in the 152 lb. class state competition in Champaign.

He placed fifth in Class 2A as a junior.

“Being named to the Post-Dispatch All-Metro 2nd team is a great ending to his high school wrestling career. He is one of the best wrestlers we have had at Triad. He was a four-time state qualifier, two-time state placer and holds the Triad career pins record,” said Triad coach Russ Witzig.

This past season he won his weight class at invitationals at Chatham-Glenwood, Mascoutah, Granite City and Springfield. He also won Class 2A Regional and Sectional titles.

His only two losses were to runners-up at state in their weight classes.

He wrestled up at 160 lbs. at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Duals to get better matchups for the rest of his teammates and eventually win their 13th straight MVC title.

At those duals he fell for the only time in the regular season to Jerseyville’s Zeke Waltz by a 4-2 decision. Waltz finished at 43-1 on the year.

At state he fell to Grant LaDuke of Lemont in the semifinals by a 5-0 count. LaDuke fell by a 3-2 decision in the title match to undefeated, three-time state champ Dean Hamiti, Jr. of Joliet Catholic.

As a team, the Knights went 15-8 in dual meets and won their second straight regional crown.

Bakarich will wrestle for the United States Merchant Marine Academy next year. The USMMA is located in Kings Point, New York. They are affiliated with the NCAA at the Division III level and wrestle in the Centennial Conference.