THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN
WRESTLING
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2016
Before their success, however, the Tirapelle brothers started out from humble beginnings. Steve recalls the first time he brought Adam to wrestling practice — it didn’t go as planned. “He cried when we brought him in the room,� Tirapelle recalls. “He didn’t want to stay. I think he wanted to enjoy the sport but for whatever reason he cried. And we told him that if he kept crying, this was over.� Despite the tough love, Adam and Alex maintain that their father’s philosophy largely contributed to their success. “Wrestling-wise, we learned from him. That’s where our foundation came from,� Adam said. “He taught me that as a coach, you don’t give up on a kid. Obviously you have standards and make them work to those standards, but you never know. One day, the light might come on, as my dad says.� “You know, I saw my brother wrestling when I was growing up and I really enjoyed watching his matches over the years,� Alex commented. “I saw him doing that and thought there’s no reason that I can’t either. “But a lot of the credit goes to my dad. It’s pretty difficult to be a ‘father-coach.’ Because of him, we fell in love with the sport and, obviously, we’re still involved.� In grooming his sons into athletic champions and academic achievers — both Adam and Alex were valedictorians of their graduating class — Steve learned the value of expectations. “Setting expectations is the most important thing. Back in the old days, there were
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including long-time powerhouses and reigning state champions. One of these schools, however, bears particular significance for Alex Tirapelle. His alma mater, fifth-ranked Clovis High School, winners of five straight California State Championships, will fly to Philadelphia for the tournament. And Clovis coaches Steve and Adam Tirapelle — Alex’s father and brother, respectively — will make the trip as well. Steve Tirapelle has been a fixture in West Coast wrestling for as long as most can remember. He first hit the mats in 1969 as a high school freshman before going on to earn NCAA All-American status at Humboldt State University, a Division II program. Being an athlete, however, was not the elder Tirapelle’s true calling. “At first, I just started wrestling because my brother did it,� Steve said. “Eventually, though, I realized I loved the sport and loved coaching it even more.� Despite his exemplary results as a high school coach — 101 state medals, 25 individual state championships and seven team state championships — Steve’s most impressive work is evident in the development of his sons. Adam, the oldest, won two California state championships under his father’s tutelage and went on to become an NCAA national champion at Illinois. Alex followed his brother to Urbana-Champaign, earning two All-American distinctions and two Big Ten championships for the Illini.
consequences for not putting in the best effort to meet those expectations,� Steve said. “It wasn’t like today when you could say you don’t like something and you can get out of it.� While the Tirapelles’ success can be attributed to Steve’s mentorship, it is clear that their achievements also stem from a deep mutual respect. One clear example of their strong familial bond was Adam’s return to California, where he coaches Clovis’ team alongside his dad. “When Adam came back to help out with [Clovis], it helped me out a lot,� Steve said. “It gave me a lot more energy, a lot more bounce. I would have retired a few years ago if he hadn’t come back.� Adam, meanwhile, was effusive with praise for his brother’s tenure as a full-time coach. “He’s very disciplined. There’s a lot more to college wrestling than putting on the shoes and showing some moves,� Adam said. “He has business degree, so he understands the organizational side of the things. He gets that aspect and he gets the recruiting aspect.� Alex, despite his excitement for his family’s impending arrival, understands the true purpose of their visit. “Obviously, it’s going to be great to see them. But, I’m sure they’ll be focused,� he said. “They’re here for a reason.� One thing’s for certain: If Steve and Adam can reach the podium on Saturday, the family reunion will be all the more enjoyable.
SUDOKUPUZZLE
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9 4 7 2 3
8 9 4 4
9 7 4 5 9
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Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. Solution to Previous Puzzle:
2
7 9 1
4 6 6
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8
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The Sudoku Source of
“Daily Pennsylvanian�.
NEWYORKTIMESCROSSWORDPUZZLE Crossword ACROSS 1 Young wolves 5 Unenviable situation 9 Bloke 13 Blues chanteuse Washington 14 That seĂąora 15 Build up 16 Geopolitical term introduced in the 2002 State of the Union 18 Game box specification 19 Infernal 20 One drawing alluring images 22 Wipes (out) 24 Phoenician or Palestinian 25 Treacherous bend 26 School of thought 28 Greasy spoon 29 White-tailed eagles
32 Succession within an ethnic group? 34 Question thoroughly 36 Obstacles seen four times in this puzzle’s completed grid? 41 ___ toast 42 Disney friend of Flounder and Sebastian 43 Verbalize 44 ___ Stavro Blofeld (Bond archvillain) 47 Onetime NBC parent 48 “Get a room� elicitor, for short 51 Accrue hand over fist 54 Swirls 56 Something lost and returned in a fairy tale 59 City ENE of Cleveland, OH
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE W E E P
I S U P P C H O N O S N E E
B E A M U P
H A H A
I N F U S E
R O L L I N
Z E D B O I L C O E D S A L M I D C I A N N G S
G R A V E L
N E R U D A
J I A N G T S O L O B
A W D O A K M U T I T E E R A S A M S H A M R O V A S I G H B O E E N D
A S P E C T S B U T T
A B E T
L A D I D L A A P E E X L I S T V N I A S M A
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60 Setting for the George Clooney film “The Descendants� 61 Poet who won a 1967 Pulitzer for “Live or Die� 63 Reputation 64 “It� 65 One-named R&B singer with the hit “1, 2 Step� 66 Have a dinner for, say 67 Actor McGregor 68 A crucible is a hard one
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DOWN 1 Spots for computer users 2 Hooks up 3 Turkish pooh-bah 4 Worker at a stable 5 Series of races 6 Singer befriended by a young Forrest Gump 7 Was an errant driver? 8 Sub choice 9 Go on and on and on 10 Salubrious 11 Pithecological study 12 Trying type 13 Terpsichore’s domain 17 Bone to pick? 21 Head of a conspiracy 23 Chicago Cubs Hall-of-Famer
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PUZZLE BY TIMOTHY POLIN
27 “Surely not ME!?�
37 Lunar celebration
50 Lotus position in yoga, e.g.
30 Northern game
38 Like the core of the sun
52 Removal
31 Classic Mercedes roadsters 32 Honey-colored 33 Early afternoon ora 35 Flynn of film 36 Dallas institution, for short
39 Chow line? 40 “Guns� 45 Opening word 46 Thus far, informally
53 Storied assassin 55 Song of the South 56 Typo, e.g. 57 Bring aboard
48 Several works of Michelangelo
58 Low hand?
49 Order out?
62 Build
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SPORTS 11