Mount Si wrestler trying to become school’s first state champion heavyweight
December 31, 2008
By Ryan Piersol
When Ryan Ransavage runs out on the wrestling mat, he doesn’t look all that intimidating. He doesn’t look that strong. He doesn’t even look that quick.
Then again, he doesn’t much look like a pioneer either.
Nevertheless, the Mount Si senior is playing all four parts quite well this winter. Using a rare combination of strength and speed, the heavyweight has launched himself to a No. 2 state ranking in his weight class.
Mount Si senior Ryan Ransavage throws around 285-pound wrestlers like overmatched weights.
It’s unusual territory for a Wildcat. Mount Si has never had a heavyweight in legitimate position to win a state championship, much less actually accomplish the feat. But here Ransavage is — strong, fast and in position to make history.
“It would be pretty neat if I could win (state) and be the first,” he said. “It would be amazing, probably the best thing to happen to me in high school.”
Too often, however, when Ransavage thinks about wrestling, he doesn’t recall the number one, but the number four. That’s how many inches he says he was from advancing to the Class 3A state finals a year ago.
Ransavage lost in the semifinals to Jake Anstett of Everett in overtime. Before that match went to an extra period, Ransavage managed what would have been a match-winning take down, but was just barely out of bounds.
Following that defeat, Ransavage dropped two more matches that day and ended up sixth.
He’s used that disappointing finish as fuel this season, having already won first at the Sedro-Wooley Invitational. He defeated some of the best heavyweights in the state during that tournament and, being the true trailblazer that he is, became the first-ever Wildcat to win a championship there.
“He’s wrestling really well,” Mount Si head coach Jeff Newcomer said. “I think he’s got a really good shot (to win state). I think the biggest thing for him is that he stays focused and stays hungry. If he does end up losing, it will probably only be because he’s complacent.”
Newcomer said Ransavage is a tough match for opponents, because he does so many things well. At 255 pounds, he’s smaller than most of his opponents and, as a result, quicker. He’s also unusually strong, having posted top marks on the football team last spring with a bench press of 325, a squat at 480 and a clean of 265.
“He has incredible strength and he also has a lot of speed. That speed is really rare for a heavyweight. And he’s really good at his techniques, which is something he’s worked really hard at,” Newcomer said.
“I think a lot of people go in underestimating what he can actually do. Because, while he’s really strong and really fast, he doesn’t look like he’s either.”
Ransavage should get a great idea of how he stacks up with the rest of the state this weekend when Mount Si travels to Sequim. Port Angeles heavyweight John Camp, who is the only 285-pounder in Washington ranked ahead of Ransavage, is scheduled to be there. The two could also meet up again later in the season when the Wildcats travel to Port Angeles.
Ransavage should also get a chance to see the state’s No. 3-ranked heavyweight at some point this season since Cody Treddenbarger wrestles for league foe Juanita.
Not that Ransavage is aware of his potential. This summer, while attending a camp at Oregon State University, he faced Beavers 197-pound All-American Kyle Bressler. Battling to the best-of-five in takedowns, Ransavage at one point had a 2-1 lead. With the score evened at 2-2, though, Mount Si’s big man chipped five of his teeth on Bressler’s forearm.
The experience might have been painful, but it was still valuable.
“It was different wrestling him,” Ransavage said. “He was just so much quicker and stronger for his size than most guys I see.”
Soon, Ransavage is scheduled to make an official recruiting visit to Western Washington University in Bellingham. He’ll be going as a football recruit, but certainly hasn’t dismissed the idea of wrestling in college, as well.
“There aren’t as many opportunities to wrestle in college as there are in football, but I’m just hoping I don’t have to make that choice,” he said. “Wrestling in college is so much more intense and you have to be so committed. But I don’t know. I still might rather do wrestling, just because I like it more.”
Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.
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