Lakenheath HS hosts Northern Wrestling Sectionals 2011 Published Feb. 16, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Stephen Linch 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- More than 70 wrestlers from eight schools gathered at the Lakenheath High School Gymnasium to compete in the Northern Wrestling Sectionals 2011 on Feb. 12 to see if they have what it takes to advance to the European Wrestling Championships at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Germany. Seventeen LHS Lancer wrestlers entered the competition with hopes of making it to the European Wrestling Championships, roughly the equivalent of a state championship. One such wrestler was Daniel Carroll, an LHS Lancer senior wrestling in the 171-pound weight division. "The intensity is really, really good right now," he said about the atmosphere at sectionals. "Everybody is here having a good time. Everybody wants to wrestle, and everybody wants to go to Europeans. So everyone is trying really hard. "It is going to be really intense today," Daniel added. For Daniel and the other wrestlers hitting the mat, this is the day is they have been training for. "Everything this entire season has led up to this day," said Staff Sgt. Alex Frew, LHS Lancer wrestling volunteer coach and 352nd Special Operations Maintenance Squadron C-130 aerospace engine mechanic. According to Sergeant Frew, wrestling is not just a sport but a lifestyle. It doesn't just stop at practice, but demands that the wrestlers watch their diet and hit the gym often. "You can definitely see the dedication these kids put in," Sergeant Frew said. "We have trained them really hard." Training was not the only thing the wrestling coaches did in preparation for the sectionals. With LHS hosting the event, Darryl Brock, LHS Lancers wrestling head coach, said there were a lot of logistics involved in getting the teams from the U.K., Belguim, Germany and the Netherlands to the sectionals. "We have made sure they all had lodging," said Mr. Brock. "We had three schools spending the night in the gym here, two in billeting and the other three travelled here (from various bases) in the U.K." Along with ensuring the other teams had a place to stay, they also made sure all of them were fed. Despite the work that went into it, the Lancer coaches and wrestlers agree that it was well worth it. "Having sectionals here at Lakenheath is definitely a privilege for us," said Sergeant Frew. "We are very proud to have it here." For some of the wrestlers, RAF Lakenheath was not the last stop for their season. Eleven of the 17 Lancer wrestlers will advance to the European Wrestling Championships at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Germany, on Feb. 18 and 19. "When we go there, we hope our kids have been trained and are ready to wrestle," said Mr. Brock. The 11 Lancers advancing to the European Wrestling Championships are: Darius Holt, freshman, 103-pound weight division Tyler Lloyd, senior, 119-pound weight division Jon Reese, senior, 125-pound weight division Austin Morrow, junior, 140-pound weight division Joey Connor, sophomore, 145-pound weight division Adam Carroll, junior, 145-pound weight division Devon Parrish, junior, 152-pound weight division Nathan Rogacki, junior, 160-pound weight division Daniel Carroll, senior, 171-pound weight division Shae Emerton, senior, 215-pound weight division Matt Russell, senior, 285-pound weight division