WNY Athletics Wrestler Of the Week: Jack Randle

Grand Island junior Jack Randle has been selected as the WNY Athletics Wrestler Of the Week for Week 3 of the 2018-2019 season.

Jack went 5-0 this past week securing wins over a host of quality competition. In last Wednesday’s NFL dual against Niagara Wheatfield Jack won by major decision over fellow sectional place winner Mark Kuhn at 113-pounds to earn four huge team points for Grand Island.

This past weekend Jack and the rest of the Vikings traveled into Section III territory to Phoenix H.S. for the Phoenix Round Robin. The tournament was attended by nineteen teams with other competition from sections III, IV, and V. Jack was the fifth place finisher at 106-pounds and the Vikings smashed the competition for the team title in last year’s event.

Randle went 4-0 on the day in capturing the 2018 Phoenix Round Robin 113-pound title and earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler award. Jack earned a quality win over Cortland’s Josh Rowland who was 5th in Section III in 2017-2018. In the first place bout Jack wrestled Johnson City’s defending Section IV large school champion Donte Rigal and was a winner by decision 5-3. Last season Rigal major decisioned Jack 14-0 at this same event.

The first adjective Grand Island head coach Craig Hoplight used in describing Randle was “dependable.” Jack is a leader in both school and on the wrestling team, maintains high grades, and puts in the offseason work to reach the next level. His coaches stated that he doesn’t miss offseason workouts and normally wrestles at least three times a week with different clubs throughout the area. In the practice room Jack frequently makes sure to help show the newer wrestlers moves and understand concepts in between his own drilling and practice time. Also, half a dozen of his immediate family members have served in a branch of the military.

Jack is getting closer to earning his 100th win and is currently 16-4 on the season. He was third in Section VI Div. I at 106-pounds last season.