By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports Report
WAVERLY — During her visit, Waverly senior Elona Holmes liked everything about Ithaca College. So much so that Tuesday she signed a National Letter-of-Intent to wrestle for the Blue Bombers.
"It's close to home, and my mom lives about 15 minutes away," she said. "And, I got along with Coach (Ryan) Ciotoli, and with the girls really well when I went for my visit.
"The campus is beautiful. It's definitely a nice place," added Holmes. "I'm happy I'm going there."
A three-time state qualifier and a sixth-place finisher as a freshman, Holmes posted a 25-9 record this season, but saw her season end early due to a shoulder injury.
Holmes know she has work to do to be ready to wrestle at the next level.
"I just have to keep getting better and keep focusing on that," she said. "And, I have to focus on my classes.
"My shoulder is still healing," added Holmes. "I'm still working it, and doing the stretches."
Waverly coach Devan Witman is confident Holmes will be successful at the next level.
"Elona is really good with the upper body," he said. "She's got really good control on under hooks, and she knows how to control wrists.
"She's one of the girls that I've coached that really understands positioning and leverage.
"What she needs to do to elevate her wrestling is learn how to take that upper body control and transfer that into takedowns and lower-level attacks," noted Witman.
"Once she can find her high Cs, find her singles, and mix that with her upper-body control, she's going to be a dangerous, dangerous wrestler," added Witman.
One advantage Holmes will have heading into college is the fact that New York, like the NCAA, features freestyle wrestling.
I think this is one of the few things that New York State has right," said Witman. "We don't get to say that often, but to prepare these girls for that next level, I think that was a tremendous leap that we made last year going to freestyle.
"They're familiar with the rules, and they're familiar with some of the nuances ... I think the girls coming from New York are gonna have that advantage over girls who are not from New York," added Witman.
Holmes is the third Wolverine to sign to wrestle collegiately next year, joining classmates Emma Vanderhoof (Elmira College) and Sydney Rosenbloom (Wilkes University).
Holmes, Vanderhoof, and Rosenbloom were the only three freshman on Waverly's first girls wrestling team four years ago.
"It was definitely time well spent," said Holmes. "I'm happy that I got convinced that year to do it.
"And I'm happy who my teammates were, that I started with and happy for the team that we had this year," she added.
Elona Holmes said her father, former Waverly wrestler Andy Holmes, and his high school teammate, and now Waverly assistant coach A.J. Aronstam were the ones to convince her to give wrestling a try.
"My father was definitely the one who was getting me into it," she said. "He did not want me to miss the chance to wrestle.
Witman is thankful for the impact Holmes, as well as Vanderhoof and Rosenbloom, had on the Waverly program.
"Honestly, it's not a surprise to any of us that these three are going on to the next level.
"From the time they first stepped into our room until the time they're signing to go away for college, they have been nothing but dedicated, putting in the extra work coming to the morning practices, or coming to the off-season practices," said Witman.
"They have really dedicated themselves to the sport and all three of them truly have been leaders in our building," he noted. "Our program has seen success for the past four years and it continues to grow and it's truly because of these ladies and what they've done for our sport in this building.
Holmes will be majoring in physical therapy and exercise science.
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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly senior Elona Holmes. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
