It makes all the hard work worthwhile. For Lee senior Mike Rushin, nothing beats the thrill of standing on center mat in front of thousands of fans with a championship on the line.
He experienced it last season at the Northern Region Tournament at Robinson in the 140-pound final and the year before at 135 pounds. The only thing missing? The championship itself.
In each of the past two years Rushin found himself agonizingly close to a region title. He lost to West Springfield’s Dan Gitlin two years ago, 4-2 in overtime, and to Fairfax’s Adam Fitterer last year, 2-1.
“There’s so much tension, so much anxiety and emotion running through you when you’re in front of that many people,” Rushin said. “It’s an awesome experience. But I don’t just want to get there this time.”
A breakthrough victory won’t be easy in a 140-pound weight class loaded with talent. Westfield’s Jake Carey (32-4) and Langley’s Jon Helmer (25-3) are both standing in Rushin’s way, among others. Carey is ranked No. 4 in the state at 140 by virginiawrestling.com and Helmer, despite missing two weeks with a concussion suffered at a tournament in Dallas in early January, is No. 3. Rushin sits close behind them at No. 6, but is trying to shake off a disappointing 13-3 major decision loss to Carey on Jan. 26.
“That was definitely an eye-opener,” Rushin said. “I know I can wrestle better than that. I’ve done it in the past. But it just shows how tough our weight class is going to be at the region tournament.”
Prior to the Carey loss, things went smoothly for Rushin. He won the Cherokee Duals, a competitive holiday tournament in Georgia, and won his first 33 matches before a loss to Gar-Field’s Justin Hickey, a 4-3 decision on Jan. 13. His overall record now stands at 41-2. After a two-week break, Rushin is back in action on Friday at the Patriot District meet at Annandale.
“This is the best time of year,” said Rushin. “All the offseason training — the camps, the practices — is for these three weeks. I have to be tough because it’s my last chance.”
Rushin around
» Lee senior Mike Rushin is the younger brother of Peter Rushin, a 2004 Lee graduate who won a Group AAA state title at 160 pounds as a senior. He now wrestles at George Mason.
» Mike Rushin won a Liberty District title at 135 pounds as a sophomore and was the Patriot District champ at 140 as a junior.
» Mike Rushin placed fourth at the Group AAA state tournament in 2005 at 135 pounds. Last year, he was eighth at 140 pounds.
