http://www.timescall.com/sports_story.asp?ID=25007



Publish Date: 1/21/2011







Trojans make ‘twister’ one deadly trademark in triumph over Niwot


By Brad Cochi
© 2011 Longmont Times-Call

LONGMONT — Over the years, Longmont wrestling coach Adam Keiswetter has mastered his patented move — the twister.

He’s also mastered teaching it.

In his second year coaching the Trojans, Keiswetter is passing along his deadly trademark to this generation of Longmont wrestlers. And it’s spreading like wildfire through the Longmont High School gym.

“When I was a wrestler it was kind of my patented move, and it’s something we’ve been working on,” Keiswetter said. “What happens is, Alonso Garcia, he’s dominating with it. He’s getting good at it and making it look easy, so then all the other guys start doing it.”

Garcia had five pins at the Lyons Invitational the week before. All of them were set up with the twister.

Garcia continued his trendsetting ways Thursday during the Trojans’ 56-19 dual win over the Niwot Cougars. He pinned Jimmy Pentz using the twister 23 seconds into the second period, and his teammates took notice.

Trojans 160-pounder Cameron Herbert watched from the side of the mat as Garcia executed the twister to perfection. He decided to use the move as well, pinning Niwot’s Austin Boldt with it in 1:11.

“I was able to work some of my takedowns, and at the end the twister’s fun,” said Herbert, who is 21-2 and ranked fourth in the state at 152 pounds. “I saw his head down and I saw my friend Alonso do it right in front of me so I figured I should do it, too.”

The move worked so well for Herbert, who wrestled up in weight Thursday, Forrest Wetterstrom took it for a test drive. He hit the twister to pin Cougars’ 171- pounder Damien O’Hare in 2:38 for his first-ever pin using the move.

“We all just like to use it, and it’s a very addictive move once your good at it,” Wetterstrom said. “It’s not complicated. All you have to do it just get in the right position and it works.”

Here’s how the twister is done — have the opponent’s head locked in one arm, underhook an arm, hip heist and roll.

Something out of National Geographic, when the twister works it looks like a crocodile killing a gazelle with a death roll.

Every time a Longmont wrestler hits the twister and it results in a pin, Keiswetter has to buy him a Blizzard from Dairy Queen. Garcia is up to eight already.

At around $5 per Blizzard, Garcia, Herbert and Wetterstrom cost their coach roughly $15 in a matter of about 10 minutes on Thursday. It’s addicting, but the Trojans understand the twister isn’t the only way to win.

Three Trojans — Ivan Wolf (125 pounds), Luke Osterfelt (135) and Chris Chacon (189) — won by pinfall without the signature move.

All the Trojans’ wins weren’t pins, either. Trojans senior Aaron Shaffer, ranked third at 130 pounds, scored with nearly every move but the twister.

He won by technical fall, 16-1 over Niwot’s Joey Lambert. And not all the Trojans’ wins were dominating. At heavyweight, Justin Reedy Hansen won a tough 7-5 decision of Niwot’s Landon Nolting.

For the Cougars, who forfeited at 152s and 215s, there were a few bright spots. Niwot 103-pounder Kenny Ellis capped off the dual with a 57-second pin over Longmont’s Nat Britton, and Cougars 112-pounder Jesse Slopicka pinned Braeden Atwood in three minutes.

At 119s, Cristian Ramirez held of a late surge and near escape from Longmont’s Lane Olson for a 2-1 decision in the final seconds.

Cougars 140-pounder Nick Stager wrestled the team’s best, and longest, match. He won a 23-9 major decision over Longmont’s Drake Greott, which took nearly 25 minutes.

The lengthy 140-pound match was stopped for blood twice after Stager’s forehead was cut. He wrestled with a bandage at regionals last year, so the Niwot coaches were prepared when the wound opened up. Stager wrestled the entire third round with his head wrapped entirely by a bandage.

The Niwot junior, who scored most of his points on takedowns Thursday, improved to 24-6 on the season.

The major decision was nice but with the dual still close at the time, he wanted the technical fall.

“I didn’t get the technical fall. I think I could’ve done it, probably should’ve done it,” Stager said. “He’s a tough kid. He’s a freshman but he has a really good feel for the sport. I think I definitely could’ve done better.”

Brad Cochi can be reached at bcochi@times-call.com.

That's funny how they talk about having to "buy them a blizzard". When I wrestled, there was a team in my conference that was such a dynasty that if any varsity wrestler came out of the dual with a win, we would get taken out for a steak dinner. I don't know if they still do that.