Upper St. Clair’s Fall Guy pinning with the wins
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Jake Slinger puts the finishing touches on a victory, a pin in the championship match of the Chartiers-Houston Invitational earlier this season.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Jake Slinger continued to rake in the hardware this wrestling season. The Upper St. Clair senior set the school record for career victories on his way to winning the 285-pound weight class at the WPIAL and Southwest Regional championships last weekend. He competed for a PIAA title this weekend in Hershey.
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Jake Slinger works on his pinning moves.
With 18 pins in 21 matches, call Jake Slinger of Upper St. Clair the Fall Guy.
“It wasn’t the goal,” he said about pinning every opponent this wrestling season, “but it would be nice to keep pinning people.”
Because he moved up from the 220-pound weight class to heavyweight, Slinger has had little choice but to adopt that strategy during the 2018-19 campaign. Tipping the scales at 255, the senior often gives up pounds to his opponents, who can weigh as much as 287.
“I knew this year that I had to get a big jump on guys who were going to be bigger and stronger. Though I might be smaller, I’m more agile so I’ve taken on a mindset to be always attacking and on the prowl to score points.”
When Slinger doesn’t get the fall, he does score points, plenty and quickly.
His nearest decision was a 7-1 win against Nathan Hoaglund in a recent dual meet loss to Mt. Lebanon. Slinger anticipates facing Hoaglund several more times because they were to compete at the Allegheny County championships Jan. 18-19 at Fox Chapel, the sectionals, the WPIAL/Southwest Regional tournament and perhaps the PIAA championships.
Additionally, Slinger rolled up a major decision, 11-0, in defeating Gerald Comedy of Washington for the heavyweight title in last weekend’s Burgettstown Tournament. Slinger is 22-0 overall after winning by forfeit in a match against Baldwin on Jan. 16.
Bumping up a weight class, Slinger admitted, was a big jump. While it has been difficult at times, he has embraced the challenge.
“You can’t rely just on strength,” he said. “It’s more strategy now and working the angles. At 220 my stamina was good and there were very few guys who could outlast me in a match. It’s been eye-opening because while I’ve kept my stamina it’s rare guys make it out of this weight class not feeling exhausted. So, I have to push the pace. Usually the one who gets into a rhythm and can set the pace has the advantage.”
Indeed, for seldom this season have Slinger’s matches gone the distance. In fact, he has recorded most of his pins in two periods or less.
Amazingly, Slinger has suffered only one fall in his career. Eventual state champion Jacob Robb from Armstrong pinned Slinger in 64 seconds in a quarterfinal match at the WPIAL championships his freshman year.
“It wasn’t a bad moment. Rather a learning experience,” Slinger said of the defeat.
The toughest loss would come his sophomore season when he dropped a 5-3 decision to William Korber of Belle Vernon, again in a district quarterfinal match. Slinger finished fourth in the WPIAL.
“There was a lot of anger there because I knew if I did not beat him, it would be tough in the state tournament,” Slinger said. “I wrestled my heart out.”
According to Slinger, that is wrestling harshest lesson. However, such experiences propel him.
“The hardest reality, the toughest thing to face, is yourself,” he said. “Your greatest enemy is yourself. Wrestling taught me that no matter what or under whatever circumstances, I should push through and not let hardships get in my way.”
Parental push
First and foremost, Slinger is who he is today because of his parents, Heather and Frank. While his father and his brothers, Moe, who played at Juniata, and Jesse, a standout punter and baseball player at Lock Haven, influenced his football career, his mother ignited his wrestling passion. Slinger noted that Heather grew up in Hempfield and was “immersed” in the sport. She signed him up for youth wrestling at the “fairly young” age of 5.
“Mainly I was always running around causing a mess,” said the 18-year-old Slinger. “She thought it would be a good way for me to burn up some of that energy at wrestling practice.”
Wrestling won over Slinger’s heart even though he has played football and participated in track and field in high school. He thrived on the competition and training.
“I have always been taken with the hard work it takes to be good and I like the feeling that the more I keep working the more successful I will become. That’s the driving factor. I don’t always remember the wins but there is nothing better than getting your hands raised.”
At USC, that has happened 111 times. Slinger entered the Century Club when he pinned Hempfield’s Isaiah Vance during the Moon Duals. Slinger is the 10th Panther to join the WPIAL’s prestigious circle of winners.
At 111-25 (as of Jan. 16), Slinger was 12 wins away from becoming Upper St. Clair’s all-time winningest wrestler. 2012 graduate Mackenzie McGuire (132-11) is ranked No. 1.
If Slinger achieves his remaining goals, he will indeed leave a legacy upon the entire wrestling world.
Before his scholastic career concludes, he hopes to claim a section title and improve upon his district and state finishes as well as national showings. Slinger, who has been recognized as an All-American with a fifth-place finish in the 2018 NHSCA and a fourth-place showing in the FloNational tournaments, was last year’s WPIAL runner-up. A two-time PIAA qualifier, he scored seventh place last year and earned All-State acclaim.
“I want to make it back to states and bring home not just a medal but a state championship. I’m going to give all I can to get to Hershey and get to the top of that podium,” Slinger said. “To an extent, I think my experience from the past two years will help because I have seen how tough it is.”
College and beyond
After he graduates in June, Slinger will enroll at George Mason University. He selected the Virginia campus, which is in close proximity to the U.S. Regional Training Center, over Pitt, West Virginia, Bucknell and Lock Haven.
Slinger realized that colleges wanted him to wrestle up a class to heavyweight. Thus, the change this high school season. He worked hard at the transition, joining forces with Frank Jezioro and training at his gym in Bethel Park. Slinger also refined his diet and lifting routines. He also continued to work out at the Quest Wrestling School.
In college, he anticipates results similar to those he has experienced scholastically. In the short term, he hopes to be “good enough” to place at nationals. Long term, he wants to end up on the podium and possibly compete internationally.
“You learn what it takes to get to the next level,” he said. “Through my biggest hardships, wrestling has shown me how much work I had to do to be successful.”
Age: 18
Birthdate: July 14
Parents: Heather & Frank
Siblings: Moe, 24; Jesse, 22
Sports: Wrestling, football, track and field.
College choice: Georg Mason
Major: Nursing
Food: Chicken parmigiana. “It’s the perfect combination of proteins and carbohydrates and my dad makes the best. He’s the cook in the family.”
Sin food: Soda. “I know it’s not good for me and it makes me sluggish. If I do have it, I don’t go overboard.”
Restaurant: Ardolino’s Pizza.
Color: Blue
Class: Chemistry
Hero: Nick Gwiazdowski, three-time All-American at North Carolina State University, 2017 bronze medalist at World Championships and current heavyweight for the US team.
Book: Fahrenheit 451.
Movie: Goodwill Hunting.
People might be surprised to know this about you?
”It’s not very interesting. I’m a natural right-hander, but I wrestle lefty. Self-taught. In most cases, it gives me an advantage because 90 percent of the people are right-handed. It gives me openings to their weaknesses.”
What has your sport taught you?
Wrestling taught me no matter what or under any circumstance, I should push through the pressure and not let hardships get in my way. I’ve seen people get phased by it but that motivates me.