H-S Athlete of the week: Kai Vielma, Connellsville
Submitted photo
Name: Kai Vielma
School: Connellsville
Class: Sophomore
Sport: Wrestling
Vielma’s week: The Falcons’ 139 pounder won three of his four bouts by fall, including over previously undefeated Dominic Ferraro of Pine-Richland in the finals, to earn his first WPIAL Class 3A championship on Saturday at Canon-McMillan High School.
In the finals, Vielma took a 3-0 lead after a takedown with 10 seconds remaining in the first period before Ferraro escaped.
Vielma escaped in the second to extend his advantage to 4-1 before Ferraro tied the match at 4-4 with a takedown of his own, but Ferraro was riding high on Vielma, who scored a reversal and four near-fall points for a 10-4 lead before locking up Ferraro in a cradle for the fall in 3:20.
Vielma was confident leading up to the match with Ferraro, as the Falcons have wrestled one of the toughest schedules in the state, plus competed in the team state tournament.
“I never wrestled him (Ferraro) before, but I know that he is pretty tough,” Vielma said. “He did have an impressive record coming into the match, but our team wrestles a way tougher schedule, so I was pretty confident. I also don’t look too much into records. I just focus on my match.”
Losses don’t mean everything: It has been said that all that matters is wins and losses and the records tell all, but that doesn’t always transpire in wrestling because certain teams wrestle different schedules against different skill levels.
The Falcons wrestled at the Powerade Christmas Tournament, which is considered one of the toughest in the country, plus the Escape the Rock, which also has a reputation as one of the best in the state and the eastern part of the country.
Vielma is 41-4 this season with two of his losses coming at Powerade and two at Escape the Rock. He has a career mark of 81-11.
“Two of the guys I lost to just wrestled in the national prep finals, so that tells you what kind of schedule we wrestle,” Vielma said. “It really helps put things in perspective, and you learn to not be intimidated by guys in the postseason tournaments because we are used to competing against some of the best guys in the country.”
Practice makes perfect: Vielma’s practice partner, Evan Petrovich, was third in the state last year and has committed to the University of Pittsburgh to continue his wrestling and academic careers, which pushes Vielma even more.
“I couldn’t ask for a better practice partner than Evan,” Vielma said. “I feel like we really flow well together. He is a great practice partner and great to be in the room with him. We bust our butts every day in the wrestling room.”
Brotherly love: Vielma’s older brother, Lonzy, is a senior for the Falcons who has committed to wrestle for the University of West Virginia. Lonzy wrestles at 160, and he also won his first WPIAL championship on Saturday.
The duo still scrap in the wrestling room, but Kai is giving up some weight to his big brother.
“We don’t wrestle all the time, but when we do, I give him a battle,” Kai Vielma said. “He usually gets the better of me, but he has some weight on me. We really want what’s best for each other.”