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Discussion Topic: An excellent video about Saint John Arena
Christopher Henderson added to this discussion on March 8, 2024
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKbfHG3AS1o
I fully concur with The Depressed Ginger's take on Saint John Arena. He describes it a basketball cathedral and it was. I never saw a basketball game there, only wrestling, but I have great memories of it.
I attended the dual meet against Michigan in 2008, I believe, when the Buckeyes broke a 12 year losing streak against the Wolverines. It could have been longer. The wrestlers threw T-shirts into the crowd at some point and I caught one thrown by Mike Pucillo and I gave it to the little kid next to me.
In 2015 when it hosted the Big Ten championship, the crowd was huge. I got to see the Jordan cousins wrestle and it was a classic big brothering by Isaac against Bo.
I hope Coach Ryan reconsiders using Saint John just for Iowa and Penn State. When the place is full it's an incredible atmosphere. Even the farthest seat is close to the action.
Does anyone else have good memories of Saint John Arena?
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Discussion Topic: An excellent video about Saint John Arena
Ben Golden added to this discussion on March 8, 2024
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I loved attending duals there and always thought it was a fantastic venue for wrestling. The Covelli center is also a fantastic venue, but I grieve that it is so small. I was a student at OSU from 2006-10 and attended most of their duals in that timeframe, including the '08 Michigan dual you mention.
That was a very exciting time to be a new college wrestling fan at OSU. My freshman year was also Tom Ryan's first year as head coach and coincided with the beginning of OSU Wrestling's glory days. For most of my college career, I could show up 30 minutes before the dual started and have a fantastic general admission seat. Two or three years later, I'd show up an hour early and have a much harder time.
Some memories:
- One of the first duals (perhaps the first) I attended was against MSU, and T.J. Enright upset #1 Nick Simmons. I didn't know who Nick Simmons was at that point, but the crowd went wild, I enjoyed it, and I later learned that that was truly a significant win.
- Jaggers' junior year, he won with a defensive fall over PSU's #2-ranked wrestler, who I believe was named Jake Strayer. Very electric moment in SJA--it may have won the dual for OSU. This was near the beginning of Jaggers' truly outstanding late season run toward a national title. No one expected him to win a title that year, but he really did put together a very strong list of wins in the second half of the season, leading into the NCAA tournament.
- Jaggers' senior year he famously struggled to shrink his body into 141 early on and did not have a strong record. Around the time he was getting it under control, OSU dualed Kent State, and I remember Drew Lashaway pinning Jaggers'.... very much a rolling/touch fall. I remember the angry look on Jaggers' face at the call... NOT happy.
- OSU hosted 2008 National Duals... I remember watching Metcalf tech fall Darrion Caldwell. I remember hearing Metcalf grunt pulling him back in to secure a takedown. This was a very anticipated match: The previous year, Caldwell's spladle pin was Metcalf's only loss in an historically loaded field at 149. And of course Caldwell responded to the National Duals tech fall by smashing Metcalf in the NCAA finals to the shock of everyone watching.
- I remember Logan Stieber's anticipated debut as a true freshman. It was to be a good test: It was a tri, and one of the opponents was Pitt. Pitt had a really solid 125 named Anthony Zanetta at the time. He was a perpetual round of 12 guy, not sure if he ever made the podium but was an exciting test for "Logie Bear" debut. Pretty sure Zanetta scratched, so we didn't see that, but Logan won both of his matches that night with first or second period tech falls, and you could tell he was going to transition well to college.
- I remember OSU beating Iowa for the first time in.... 56 years if I recall? Truly a jaw dropping and magical night. They won all the tossups and got a couple upsets to unseat the top program of the previous ~5 years. Logie Bear beat Ramos in what I believe was their first match. Hunter Stieber beat Montel Marion... Tessari beat Mike Kelly... Derek Garcia beat Mike Evans in one of Garcia's few bouts as a Buckeye.
- EDIT: As you mention, the 2015 Big Tens were also a highlight.... remember the injured Hunter running out and wrestling?
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Discussion Topic: An excellent video about Saint John Arena
Matt Schein added to this discussion on March 8, 2024
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Love St. John’s. I too was at the duel in 2008. Gone to osu duels there since I was in high school. I remember taking my son to a match against Nebraska and Russ Hellickson was sitting behind me. We shook hands and I asked him why here was up here with us and not on the floor. He said he preferred being in the stands.
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Discussion Topic: An excellent video about Saint John Arena
Jeff Reid added to this discussion on March 9, 2024
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I saw Mark Zimmern win his 4th title there. Loved going there as a kid. It was the best three weeks which started with the Mayfield Sectionals and then the Mentor Districts and if my dad had any of his guys make the state tournament, we would get to go to St. Johns. Back then too, if remember correctly, the single A only had an 8 man bracket. Great memories.
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Discussion Topic: An excellent video about Saint John Arena
Jim Behrens added to this discussion on March 9, 2024
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My son competed two times at St John's and I was there to officiate the OHSAA duals championships.
While I understand that people have fond memories of the place, I always thought it was a pit. BTW, putting six HS sized mats on the floor is really pushing it.
The building old, worn out, and should be demolished.
Go!
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Discussion Topic: An excellent video about Saint John Arena
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on March 9, 2024
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St Johns was a shthole. I understand nostalgia but it was not a good place to watch anything.
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Discussion Topic: An excellent video about Saint John Arena
Freddy Carr added to this discussion on March 10, 2024
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I was there when Rowlands pinned Crump. Drove up from Cincy by myself. One of the absolute wildest scenes I experienced.
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Discussion Topic: An excellent video about Saint John Arena
Joe Johnson added to this discussion on March 12, 2024
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Quote from Ben Golden's post:
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"I loved attending duals there and always thought it was a fantastic venue for wrestling. The Covelli center is also a fantastic venue, but I grieve that it is so small. I was a student at OSU from 2006-10 and attended most of their duals in that timeframe, including the '08 Michigan dual you mention.
That was a very exciting time to be a new college wrestling fan at OSU. My freshman year was also Tom Ryan's first year as head coach and coincided with the beginning of OSU Wrestling's glory days. For most of my college career, I could show up 30 minutes before the dual started and have a fantastic general admission seat. Two or three years later, I'd show up an hour early and have a much harder time.
Some memories:
- One of the first duals (perhaps the first) I attended was against MSU, and T.J. Enright upset #1 Nick Simmons. I didn't know who Nick Simmons was at that point, but the crowd went wild, I enjoyed it, and I later learned that that was truly a significant win.
- Jaggers' junior year, he won with a defensive fall over PSU's #2-ranked wrestler, who I believe was named Jake Strayer. Very electric moment in SJA--it may have won the dual for OSU. This was near the beginning of Jaggers' truly outstanding late season run toward a national title. No one expected him to win a title that year, but he really did put together a very strong list of wins in the second half of the season, leading into the NCAA tournament.
- Jaggers' senior year he famously struggled to shrink his body into 141 early on and did not have a strong record. Around the time he was getting it under control, OSU dualed Kent State, and I remember Drew Lashaway pinning Jaggers'.... very much a rolling/touch fall. I remember the angry look on Jaggers' face at the call... NOT happy.
- OSU hosted 2008 National Duals... I remember watching Metcalf tech fall Darrion Caldwell. I remember hearing Metcalf grunt pulling him back in to secure a takedown. This was a very anticipated match: The previous year, Caldwell's spladle pin was Metcalf's only loss in an historically loaded field at 149. And of course Caldwell responded to the National Duals tech fall by smashing Metcalf in the NCAA finals to the shock of everyone watching.
- I remember Logan Stieber's anticipated debut as a true freshman. It was to be a good test: It was a tri, and one of the opponents was Pitt. Pitt had a really solid 125 named Anthony Zanetta at the time. He was a perpetual round of 12 guy, not sure if he ever made the podium but was an exciting test for "Logie Bear" debut. Pretty sure Zanetta scratched, so we didn't see that, but Logan won both of his matches that night with first or second period tech falls, and you could tell he was going to transition well to college.
- I remember OSU beating Iowa for the first time in.... 56 years if I recall? Truly a jaw dropping and magical night. They won all the tossups and got a couple upsets to unseat the top program of the previous ~5 years. Logie Bear beat Ramos in what I believe was their first match. Hunter Stieber beat Montel Marion... Tessari beat Mike Kelly... Derek Garcia beat Mike Evans in one of Garcia's few bouts as a Buckeye.
- EDIT: As you mention, the 2015 Big Tens were also a highlight.... remember the injured Hunter running out and wrestling?"
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Absolutely drives me insane that the 2012 Buckeye win against Iowa is nowhere to be found online. Would love to watch that over again.
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