Bees wrestlers take their skill set to next level
by Dan Holland
With winning its fifth-straight conference title this year in the Suburban League National Division, and having produced numerous state champions, state runners-up and state placers in recent years, the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School wrestling team has made its mark on the sport.
This year’s team is ranked #4 in Ohio and #24 nationally. The program currently boasts 17 former wrestlers on college rosters.
“That’s a lot at the college level, and I think we have five guys wrestling in the Big Ten right now,” said Head Coach Todd Haverdill, now in his 24th year of leading the program. “I think that says a couple of things; it says that they enjoy wrestling, and so our program did a good job.”
“It also says something about our program and our coaching staff,” he continued. “They work really hard to help these kids move onto the next level using their networking and talking to other coaches. Something we take a lot of pride in is using the sport to help our kids get to the next level.”
Haverdill noted the brotherhood that has developed through the program over the years, which includes many alumni.
“We have a big coaching staff, and a lot of alumni want to come back and coach,” said Haverdill. “And that’s something I’m very proud of – them wanting to come back and give back to the program says a lot. It means they got something out of this program they felt was very valuable, and they want to come back and pass it on.”
Highlighted D-I college wrestlers:
Victor Voinovich – Class of 2021 (University of Iowa – Exercise Science): Voinovich was a two-time state champion at BBHHS during his freshman and senior years. He currently wrestles at the University of Iowa and is a member of the Serbian National Wrestling Team. He will be competing in the upcoming World Championships and hopes to one day compete in the Olympics.
“I feel like with the way Haverdill coached me, it made the transition to college a lot easier,” Voinovich said, reflecting on his time at BBHHS. “Obviously, the guys are older and stronger, but my technical base was strong from being a wrestler under coach Haverdill for four years.”
“I’m very grateful to have been part of the BBHHS wrestling program, and I would tell the kids there now to be grateful for what they have, because it’s one of the best high school wrestling programs in the nation,” he continued. “Just be grateful to be part of it every day, whether you’re going through hard practices or whatever – and know that you’re in a good place.”
Brock Herman – Class of 2023 (Ohio State University – Criminal Justice)
Herman was a 2023 state champion and two-time state finalist at BBHHS. He currently wrestles at Ohio State University. He hopes to eventually become an FBI agent or U.S. Marshall.
“My time at BBHHS prepared me really well for college wrestling,” said Herman. “I was surrounded by some of the best coaches around, and they all prepared me for the big stage. So, by the time I went to the state tournament during my senior year, I was ready to scrap and move on up.
Kaden Jett – Class of 2023 (Ohio University – Accounting and Finance) Jett was a two-time state-place winner at BBHHS during his sophomore and senior years. He is currently a starter on the Ohio University wrestling team.
“My advice to Bees wrestlers is to just live in the moment and have fun with it,” he added. “Don’t get too stressed over whether you win or lose; it’s not the end of the world. Realize how good the coaching staff is that you have around you and how they are building you up as a person. To go onto the college level, you have to enjoy it and have fun with it.”
“It all starts off with Coach Haverdill and the whole coaching staff there,” said Jett of his time at BBHHS. “They take it just as seriously as do the athletes competing, and that was the first step in preparing me for college, because once you get to the college level, everyone prepares and wants to be good. When you have a support system like that – a coaching staff that cares as much or more than you do – it helps a lot.”
“Put out your best effort, and you’ll get better every day,” he advises high school grapplers. “If you don’t enjoy it, then you’ll end up focusing on the harder problems in wrestling that come along like cutting weight, hard practices and other things. But, if you go in there with a mindset that you’re going to have fun while you’re doing it, you’ll get that 1% better every day, and you’ll also enjoy the process.”
Jett’s younger brother, Jace, who currently wrestles at BBHHS, recently committed to wrestle at Ohio University.
Ben Vanadia – Class of 2021 (Purdue University – Finance) Vanadia was a state finalist at BBHHS during his sophomore year. He is currently a starter in the 197-pound weight class at Purdue University. He is currently ranked #27 nationally in his weight class.
“All during my time at BBHHS, Coach Haverdill would have us continuously learn and tweak positions,” said Vanadia. “In high school, I was more of a perfectionist; I wanted to get everything right, so I would spend time working on moves just to where it felt perfect for me. That’s something I took from high school and brought to college, so I could keep working the moves to where it feels good for me where I can do it in a match.”
“I feel like I learned more from my losses than from my wins,” he continued. “Don’t take the losses too hard – know what happened and why it happened and get back to the drawing board, and continue to move forward. Don’t let any of the little things stop you and prevent you from moving toward your goals. Just have resilience and be able to handle whatever life throws at you.”
Ben has two younger brothers who wrestled at BBHHS – Max and Luke – who are both currently on the Michigan State University wrestling team.Above all, the BBHHS wrestling program instills any number of life lessons, added Haverdill. “There’s just something about discipline, accountability and getting back up when you’re knocked down,” he said. “I think there’s something about this sport that sets them up for the rest of their life, and I think it has to do with the toughness and the work ethic that goes into it.”
Photo caption: Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School’s wrestling program is renowned nationwide for the athletes it has turned out over the years. Several of the program’s recent grads have moved on to larger arenas and continue to break records in the sport. Read more on page 4. Photos submitted.