SPORTSINK.COM PHOTO

On Saturday, Twinsburg 138-pound senior Michael Labry became the first wrestler to win three NOC tournament titles. He is pictured here with his Hall of Fame coach Dave Mariola.

Twinsburg senior wrestler Michael Labry is the SportsInk.com Athlete of the Week for Dec. 11-17.

Earlier this month, Labry became only the second wrestler in the 27-year history of the Solon Comet Classic to win it four times. He also was voted Outstanding Wrestler of the Solon Classic for the second straight year.

Labry is off to a 9-0 start this season (132) coming off a 39-2 record and third-place finish (125) at the Division I state meet as a junior. He was 36-7 as a sophomore and 33-10 as a freshman. He took fourth in the state as a ninth grader.

“He is the complete wrestler you look for," Twinsburg's Hall of Fame coach Dave Mariola said. "He is good on top, good on the bottom and tremendous on his feet, that makes a great wrestler. I knew in 6th grade he had it. He was even special back then."

Labry defeated Ryan Skonieczny of St. Vincent-St. Mary 9-1 to win his fourth Solon Classic title. J. Jaggers of Bedford St. Peter Chanel is the other four-time Solon champion. The Tigers rallied to place third at this year's Classic and had eight wrestlers make it onto the podium.

“I’ve been wrestling since I was five years old when I began with my neighbor,” Labry said. “We still wrestle today as a matter of fact."

A youth tournament win in Columbus changed the way he looked at the sport.

“That was a big one, I will never forget that moment,” he said.

Labry realized he was blessed with a special talent by the time he reached middle school.

“I didn’t love the sports right away," he said. "I liked it, but now there is nothing like it,” Labry said.

He will continue his academic and athletic career at Ashland University.

“He is one of the best kids I have ever coached," Mariola said. "He is a complete wrestler."

Labry took the Solon honor in stride and viewed it more as being "consistent" and then began picking at his techniques to find areas to improve.

“It was great to win there four straight times but there is more to do,” he said. “I need to work on my takedowns to really get to where I want to go this year."

And where Labry wants to be in 2012 is on the top step of the podium at the OHSAA meet.

Labry posted a 4-0 mark at the Olentangy Tournament and now has two tournament championships to his credit so far this season.

“He is a quiet, level headed, hard worker and I have loved coaching him,” Mariola said.

Michael Labry

Twinsburg

Senior

Wrestler

GPA:  3.1

TV:  Always sunny in south Philadelphia

Movie:  Troy

Pizza:  Pepperoni

Home Cooking:  Chicken wings

IPod:  Don’t have one

Class:  History

Bucket List:  Sky diving