SPIRE Academy wrestlers elect to share Journeyman World Classic title after intense run to finals

Brown commit Ryan Kennedy and rising freshman Jason Dube opt to become co-champions at 145 pounds, showcasing the strength of their training bond and the depth of SPIRE’s wrestling program

Jason Dube walks on the mat during a match earlier this year. Dube reached the 145-pound final at the Journeyman World Classic and chose to not wrestle his teammate, Ryan Kennedy, in the finals. / SPIRE Academy

Jason Dube would have no issues wrestling SPIRE Academy teammate Ryan Kennedy with something significant at stake. When, exactly, Dube would be willing to take on one of his most frequent training partners would depend on what’s on the line.

The two battled their way to the finals of the 145-pound division of the Journeyman World Classic in Schenectady, N.Y., in early April. Instead of wrestling in the final, Dube and Kennedy decided to share the top spot.

“If it were the U.S. Open or the world finals, we would have wrestled,” said Dube, who is from Girard, Pa. “I didn’t see that there was a point. We went to Journeyman to get good matches.”

SPIRE wrestling coach Mike Kulczycki left the decision up to his wrestlers. He was in the middle of another situation at the time. Denis Kodakov Gil, another SPIRE wrestler, had dislocated his elbow, and Kulczycki had to head to the hospital.

“Ten minutes before they were supposed to wrestle I went to the emergency room,” Kulczycki said. “I didn’t want anyone else getting hurt that weekend. They were wrestling well. I told them ‘If you want to be co-champs, I’m cool with it.’”

SPIRE Academy wrestler Ryan Kennedy, a Brown commit, adjusts his headgear during an event earlier this season. He finished in second place at the NHSCA wrestling tournament this season at 138 pounds. / SPIRE Academy

Why go to Journeyman?

During the spring season, Kulczycki likes to track down good matches to prepare his team for other larger tournaments. Journeyman, which was held 411 miles from SPIRE’s campus, was a good opportunity to get high-quality freestyle matches against fresh competition. 

“I think the fact that this is an international tournament, and they get to wrestle kids from other countries, is a big reason we went,” Kulczycki said. “A lot of times, the first time guys get to wrestle a foreign opponent is if they are lucky enough to make the U.S. team. We Americans like to club, snap, and push the pace. Foreign wrestlers are more strategic.”

Kennedy, a senior and Brown commit, was coming off a 5-3 loss to Florida’s Jayce Paridon in the NHSCA finals the week before. He chose to bump up to 145 with an eye on the U.S. Open later this year.

Kennedy finished with a 31-5 record during his senior school season.

“I knew I could make 138, but I wanted some experience with bigger guys,” said Kennedy, who is from North Olmstead, Ohio. “I plan to wrestle 65 kilos in the U.S. Open. I thought to myself, why go five pounds lighter here?”

Dube happy to be on mats

Dube, a freshman, is eager to make up for lost time. During the regular season, Dube wasn’t able to spend much time on the mats. He hurt himself at the Ironman tournament. A dislocated elbow kept him sidelined for two months.

“I only had three tournaments,” Dube said. “At Ironman, I got hurt in the bloodround.”

Kulczycki said that Dube flashed potential early. SPIRE is in the process of joining a national prep wrestling league, according to Kulczycki. This past school season, SPIRE’s schedule included entering a few tournaments that included college teams.

Kulczycki said that Dube didn’t look out of place there as a 14-year-old competing against considerably older competition.

However, once Dube suffered the elbow injury, plans for his freshman season changed quickly.

“It was nasty,” Kulczycki said. “It happened in early December. He wrestled great up until then. I didn’t want to rush him back. We were slow with his recovery. He would have been ranked high, had he beaten some high-ranked wrestlers.”

Dube said he is comfortable with his style and approach against older wrestlers.

“I like open space,” Dueb said. “I don’t like being tied up or held down. I like to think I’m fast.”

Knowing the right buttons to push

Kulczycki has witnessed countless times how the two wrestlers work together. He believes the relationship is mutually beneficial. Dube gets a consistent push from a training partner who is headed to wrestle at an Ivy League school.

Kennedy has someone capable of pushing him into deep waters.

“They wrestle every day,” Kulczycki said. “I think it’s great. Especially how they push each other back and forth. They are always getting after it. It’s like a mentorship program in a way, but Jason gets his licks in all the time. At the same time, they respect each other and push each other.”

Kennedy said he’s glad they didn’t have to wrestle at Journeyman. In the past, Kennedy said he has had to wrestle his cousin.

“It sucks,” Kennedy said. “At Journeyman, if we had had to wrestle to qualify, we would have. We wrestle each other every day. This wasn't the time to go out and get hurt.”

--Josh Rizzo | rizzo42789@gmail.com| @J_oshrizzo