Boys wrestling: Caleb Burke having breakthrough season for Cloverleaf

Cloverleaf senior wrestler Caleb Burke never feels like his work is done. That burning desire to rest his head at night knowing he did everything he could to get better that day has led the 157-pound Burke to titles at the Lorain Titan Classic and Mapleton's Dave Rohr Classic, as well as a third-place finish at the Hudson Holiday Tournament and seventh place at the Medina Invitational Tournament while accumulating a 23-3 record this season. "I just have to work hard and have a good mindset," he said. "You can't be lazy. I try to be really gassed after every practice. If I don't work hard during the day, I feel unsatisfied. I need to be tired to feel like I did something at practice and I learned something." That mentality makes Burke a great example in the room for a young Colts team that saw three freshmen and two sophomores make up half of the 10 competitors in action for Cloverleaf last weekend at Mapleton. Burke was the only senior competing. "Caleb's an outstanding leader for us," coach Mark Mole said. "He gives maximum effort in everything he does. He's always asking questions and still learning. He gives everything he has when he's on the mat, and it's so much fun to watch. "He's your prototypical lead-by-example guy. He may not be as vocal as others, but he does what's expected of him to the best of his ability. He's the guy that you point to in the room and tell the other guys to follow his lead and they're going to end up having success." Burke is relishing his role as a teacher and watching less experienced teammates grow and learn. "I love training other kids and helping them out," he said. "It means a lot to me. I'm not the best at it, but it's something I enjoy doing. I hope that my peers are inspired to be better. I'm going to miss the (younger) kids when I graduate soon." A huge part of why being a leader is so important to Burke is the importance the program has played in his development. He joined the youth program in the first grade and has moved up the ranks ever since. From making friends while working in the practice room to turning that training into winning the program's first conference title in more than four decades when he was a sophomore, Colts green pumps through Burke's veins. "It means everything," he said of being part of the Cloverleaf program. "I can't picture me being on any other team. I've made a lot of friends since first grade. We've had exchange students that came from Brazil and Spain, and they've helped me learn, too. "I've had a lot of good years." Last winter, Burke battled through mononucleosis that affected him most of the season to reach the district tournament for the first time for Division II Cloverleaf. This season his goals are even bigger as he aims to win 100 career matches — he is at 79 — on his way to qualifying for the state tournament for the first time. Whether Burke can clear all the roadblocks on the way to Columbus or not, one thing is clear: He has taken his technique and approach to another level this season. That started right out of the gate when he pinned or earned a technical fall over four of his five opponents at the Titan Classic. He beat Elyria's Blake Bernath with a second-period pin in the finals. "It's his tenacity," Mole said. "He doesn't stop wrestling. There are moments in matches where you see the other kid assume points and suddenly Caleb fights through the scramble and ends up on top. He does an outstanding job of never stopping." Last weekend, Burke not only won a title at the Dave Rohr Classic, he was named the upper weight MVP after winning his first four matches by pin and topping South Central's Greyson Fisher 11-6 in the finals. "I just went out there and was doing my thing," he said. Between the Titan Classic and Dave Rohr Classic, Burke went 4-1 at the Hudson Holiday Tournament on his way to third and 5-2 at the M.I.T. to earn seventh place. "You see some seniors feel the pressure, but he's very confident in what he does," Mole said. "Any time there's a close match, a lot of people feel the pressure and things don't work out. He's thriving in those situations." The work and dedication Burke has shown are why he is built for those moments, because he's determined to not let anyone outwork him. "It's just man-to-man," he said. "Whoever puts in the most work is going to win. Whoever wrestled the hardest, worked the hardest, has more heart, more willpower and more discipline is going to win. It shows on the mat." Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com.