Hackley Crowns Two State Champions On Mats

With two champions in wrestling this past season, Hackley cemented its status as a force to reckon with on the mats. After finding success at the Ivy League tournament, key grapplers helped steer the Big Hornet Bus into the state championship.

 Before a sea of onlookers at the New York State Championships, Hackley’s Justin Seim earned the state title in the 125-pound division. Seam’s teammate, Ignacio Mejias, in a down-to-the-wire battle, captured the state title in the 152-pound division.

 For Seim, the road to success was not straight. An aggressive grappler who thrives with going in for the takedown and pushing a frenetic offensive attack, Seim was nicked up for a significant chunk of the season.

Seim suffered an ankle injury during the Eastern States tournament back on Jan. 11. Despite a balky ankle, Seim came back hell-bent on adding his fourth championship to his illustrious legacy at Hackley.

“Justin Seim and Ignacio Mejias have two completely different styles of wrestling,” explained Hackley coach Frank Stanek.  

“Justin is offensive, always looking for the first takedown. Ignacio is more defensive, waiting for the opponent to attack and then counter attack.  Both were equally successful.”

Stanek thought that Seim did a commendable job of defying adversity.

“It was very impressive for him to come back a month later and get his 100^th career win and his fourth straight state title, he explained. He now has a career record of 100-15.”

Wrestling has often been pegged as an individual sport. For newly-minted state champion Ignacio Mejias, however, wrestling can’t be labeled as anything but a team sport. He credits much of his success in 2011 to his teammates, all of whom sparked him on the sidelines as he executed an arsenal of mano-e-mano moves, wearing down and pinning opponent after opponent. Mejias posted 29 wins this sesaon.

 “All of us relied heavily on each other,” said Mejias, an essential ingredient of the vaunted 1-2 punch that helped propel Hackley into the Ivy League’s upper crust.

  “I know that wrestling with my teammate every day in practice and having them cheer me own in all of my matches contributed to a large portion of my success. I believe that the same would hold true for all of our team members. I always tried to help out the younger, less experienced, guys in practice while cheering them on in all of their matches. When I was a freshman, the upperclassman did the same for me. I wrestled them every day. They taught me moves and made me a better wrestler. Even though you compete individually, how you perform depends so much on your team. You rely on them to push you in practice. I believe that makes wrestling more of a team sport than many other sports.”

 The Briarcliff Manor native sacrificed every single iota, fending off any distractions while following a painstaking workout regimen. Whether it was logging extra miles on the track after practice, prolonging workouts, and reiterating the “never give up” mindset, the immense work ethic of both Mejias and Seim (who is from Tarrytown) was an aspect paramount to success.

 Residual effects of his constant preparation were evident in the state title match. The senior utilized a combination of composure, resilience, and endurance during high-pressure stages catapulted him to a win over Harry Frank.

 Mejias knew that going into the match, Frank was going to give him all that he can handle. With a spare called determination, however, Mejias caught lightning in a bottle and emerged as the victor.

 “Going into the finals, I knew that Harry Frank was going to be an extremely tough opponent,” Mejias said. I had beaten him the previous weekend in the Ivy League finals with a 5-3 decision. I knew that Frank was going to be coming after me hard and determined to win. I also knew that I could beat him. I refused to give up a take down and did not let him hold me down. I went in with the mindset that every single point was crucial. Harry Frank was extremely tough, but most importantly, I was better. And I believe that is what one me that match, my mindset.”

 The never-say-die attitude was evidenced in the latter stages of the match. With Mejias staring at a 2-2 score during the waning seconds, he sidestepped a nasty pin. Frank, bolstered by his coach and a raucous cheering section, went in looking to clobber Mejias on a ferocious stick down move. 

 Not so fast.

 Blink-quick reflexes helped Mejias circumvent the take down. His momentum then did sudden 360. During a heated, few seconds-span, Mejias wrapped his opponent from behind and delivered the pivotal take down. A state champion was crowned.

Heading into the season, Stanek knew that both wrestlers had all the tools and immeasurable intangibles to become successful.

"They both were voted captains at the beginning of the season," he said. "Both work extremely hard during our regular practice from 3:30-5:30 pm. It was very common for both Justin and Ignacio to practice at night for additional workouts.