Haddonfield's Bolletino has a wrestling goal for districts
When Chris Bolletino began to wrestle, he immediately developed a desire to win. And because of that, the Haddonfield junior is constantly practicing to improve himself on the mat. He wants to be remembered as an individual who has a sturdy work ethic and competes hard each day.
When Chris Bolletino began to wrestle, he immediately developed a desire to win.
And because of that, the Haddonfield junior is constantly practicing to improve himself on the mat. He wants to be remembered as an individual who has a sturdy work ethic and competes hard each day.
Haddonfield coach Mike Miller admires the amount of time that Bolletino puts in while training and said he's a great model for the rest of the team.
"Chris has really stepped up this year on the mat as far as his leadership during matches," Miller said. "He's becoming more of a vocal leader, too, but he definitely leads by example."
For Bolletino, hard work pays off. He has a 32-1 record, including 19 pins, heading into the District 27 tournament this weekend at Rancocas Valley.
"It's always nice," Bolletino said. "But I don't focus on my record as much as I look at how I compete. Now, I'm just focusing on districts."
In Bolletino's freshman and sophomore years, he lost in the District 28 finals. Being runner-up for two consecutive years gives him extra motivation this time.
"I have to turn it up in the room," Bolletino said. "I have to practice all my moves and make them all perfect. I want to get a district title."
Bolletino wrestled at 160 and 170 pounds for most of the season to benefit his team, but he dropped to 152 later in the season. He said he learned how to adjust to different situations.
"The kids [at 152 pounds] don't feel as strong because I was so used to wrestling kids in the upper weights," Bolletino said. "I feel like I'm stronger than a lot of guys."
Miller said Bolletino's ability to wrestle at different weight classes helped the team.
"A lot of teams this year have tried to maneuver their lineups around him," Miller said. "He never knew who he would wrestle. He's had to be flexible, and he's done that really well."
Bolletino will take a simple mind-set into the districts: one match at a time.
"In every match, you're in a different situation," Bolletino said. "One kid can do one thing, and the other can do something totally different. If you make a wrong decision, you're going to get scored on."
Last year, Bolletino was pinned in the Region 7 finals by Delran's Phil Rogers. Bolletino qualified for the individual state championships in Atlantic City but didn't do as well as he hoped.
He knows Saturday's district tournament is the start of his second chance to place at states.
"I'm going to try and compete for a state medal," Bolletino said. "I'll try to get on the podium this year."
Miller said his standout junior has what it takes to make his mark in Atlantic City.
"He has to go out on that mat and earn his trip down there," said Miller. "Hopefully he can do well there too."