Alex Radsky
Photo by: Sideline Sports
Confident Radsky Not Satisfied Just Being at NCAAs
3/16/2010 2:21:00 PM | Wrestling
“And the home crowd rewards Radsky's takedown with a big round of applause!” blared public address announcer and commentator Ryan Lang at the 73rd annual Southern Conference Wrestling Championship.
“Davidson hasn't had a conference champ in…” he paused briefly, “…quite a few years!”
As Alex Radsky and his opponent, Josh Statum of Chattanooga, reset at the center of the mat, Lang's comment cut the tension temporarily for the Davidson fans, many of whom could not resist cracking a smile at Lang's generosity.
Quite a few years? Actually, a few decades. Forty-one years to be exact.
Taking a 3-1 lead in the final period, Radsky was in position to punch his ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Statum managed to escape quickly though, not allowing the Davidson faithful to relax over the final minute. Davidson head coach Bob Patnesky was wrestling right along with Alex from the corner of the mat, acting out each move and countermove. Finally, the buzzer sounded and Radsky's NCAA berth was secure.
Anything less would not have been acceptable.
“In my mind I was the favorite, and it was my tournament to lose,” said Radsky. “If I didn't win the tournament, it would have been a huge disappointment for me. I put some pressure on myself, but I was confident going in.”
And then, without a hint of arrogance, he adds, “I just told myself that I am the best wrestler, so there is no reason why I should lose this tournament.”
Radsky's journey to the top of the podium is hardly typical. Born June 12, 1988, in Odessa, Ukraine, identical twins Alex and Vitaly Radsky and their parents moved to the United States before the collapse of the Soviet Union when they were just three years old. They spent a year in Chicago with relatives before moving to the Columbus, Ohio, area.
Making the transition to America was not easy for the twins.
“I didn't even speak English until I was about five years old,” explained Alex. “I spent two years in preschool because it took awhile for me to learn it. There were a couple kids that spoke Russian and translated everything for my brother and I. I don't remember much of it, but according to my parents, it was a stressful time.”
The Radskys mainly played soccer growing up and did not get into wrestling until seventh grade when a friend encouraged them to join the team. Both excelled in the sport in high school. Vitaly qualified for the state championships three times and Alex once. Both performed in the classroom as well, earning Academic All-Ohio honors.
The two had trained together throughout their careers and wanted to continue to do so in college. Wanting to compete at the Division I level for a small college, Davidson College and its excellent academic programs was on their short list from the start and ultimately where they decided to go.
Following a difficult freshman year, both improved during their sophomore year. Alex reached the podium at 133 pounds in the conference tournament, but was anything but satisfied with his performance.
“I've been working hard ever since freshman year,” said Radsky. “I had a really disappointing season and I worked hard over the summer and expected a breakout sophomore year, but it never really happened. I just went back after the season and kept working hard over the spring and summer.”
From competing in freestyle wrestling tournaments to wrestling with high school friends in Ohio, Radsky dedicated himself to improving. The work paid off, as he carried a 15-4 record into the 2010 SoCon Championship.
Satisfied? Not Alex Radsky.
“Even this year hasn't been straightforward,” lamented Radsky. “I got injured at the beginning of the year, and I wasn't wrestling very well. I lost all of my matches immediately before and after winter break. It was really rocky at the beginning of the year, but at the end of the year, things started clicking, and I finally started winning all of my matches.”
Earning a first-round bye as the second seed, Radsky needed to win two matches for the conference title. He wrestled smartly in the first, taking an 11-8 decision to advance to the finals. Radsky had a few hours to kill before the finals matches got underway at 7 p.m., so with Davidson hosting the SoCon Championship for the first time since 1988, he made use of the hometown advantage and went home for a nap.
“You have to relax,” said Radsky. “I was definitely more nervous for my first match then the finals match, just because it was the first match of the day.”
Refreshed and relaxed, Radsky's confidence only rose as his finals match went on.
Said Radsky, “I felt good because during the first two periods, I made most of the attacks. [Statum] really wasn't putting me in any danger. I remember thinking, especially during the second and third periods, that 'I need to open up more, because I need to get this takedown.' I knew that one takedown was probably going to decide the match. In the third period I got a good shot off and finished, and that was the match. I would have had to have done something to blow it to lose after that first takedown.”
Again, he's being completely serious and not gloating at all.
Winning did not change Radsky's focus, though. Following the victory, he was already focused on the next step.
“It feels great to win,” said Radsky after the awards ceremony. “This was the culmination of a season's worth of work, but it's not over yet. I want to do well at the national championships.”
Radsky's first-round opponent Thursday in the NCAA Championships is the fifth-place finisher in the Big Ten Championships, Ohio State's Ian Paddock. The two met this past summer and practiced, but did not wrestle an actual match.
What did he think of his opponent? How does he think he will fare?
Let's just say he's confident.
“Davidson hasn't had a conference champ in…” he paused briefly, “…quite a few years!”
As Alex Radsky and his opponent, Josh Statum of Chattanooga, reset at the center of the mat, Lang's comment cut the tension temporarily for the Davidson fans, many of whom could not resist cracking a smile at Lang's generosity.
Quite a few years? Actually, a few decades. Forty-one years to be exact.
Taking a 3-1 lead in the final period, Radsky was in position to punch his ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Statum managed to escape quickly though, not allowing the Davidson faithful to relax over the final minute. Davidson head coach Bob Patnesky was wrestling right along with Alex from the corner of the mat, acting out each move and countermove. Finally, the buzzer sounded and Radsky's NCAA berth was secure.
Anything less would not have been acceptable.
“In my mind I was the favorite, and it was my tournament to lose,” said Radsky. “If I didn't win the tournament, it would have been a huge disappointment for me. I put some pressure on myself, but I was confident going in.”
And then, without a hint of arrogance, he adds, “I just told myself that I am the best wrestler, so there is no reason why I should lose this tournament.”
Radsky's journey to the top of the podium is hardly typical. Born June 12, 1988, in Odessa, Ukraine, identical twins Alex and Vitaly Radsky and their parents moved to the United States before the collapse of the Soviet Union when they were just three years old. They spent a year in Chicago with relatives before moving to the Columbus, Ohio, area.
Making the transition to America was not easy for the twins.
“I didn't even speak English until I was about five years old,” explained Alex. “I spent two years in preschool because it took awhile for me to learn it. There were a couple kids that spoke Russian and translated everything for my brother and I. I don't remember much of it, but according to my parents, it was a stressful time.”
The Radskys mainly played soccer growing up and did not get into wrestling until seventh grade when a friend encouraged them to join the team. Both excelled in the sport in high school. Vitaly qualified for the state championships three times and Alex once. Both performed in the classroom as well, earning Academic All-Ohio honors.
The two had trained together throughout their careers and wanted to continue to do so in college. Wanting to compete at the Division I level for a small college, Davidson College and its excellent academic programs was on their short list from the start and ultimately where they decided to go.
Following a difficult freshman year, both improved during their sophomore year. Alex reached the podium at 133 pounds in the conference tournament, but was anything but satisfied with his performance.
“I've been working hard ever since freshman year,” said Radsky. “I had a really disappointing season and I worked hard over the summer and expected a breakout sophomore year, but it never really happened. I just went back after the season and kept working hard over the spring and summer.”
From competing in freestyle wrestling tournaments to wrestling with high school friends in Ohio, Radsky dedicated himself to improving. The work paid off, as he carried a 15-4 record into the 2010 SoCon Championship.
Satisfied? Not Alex Radsky.
“Even this year hasn't been straightforward,” lamented Radsky. “I got injured at the beginning of the year, and I wasn't wrestling very well. I lost all of my matches immediately before and after winter break. It was really rocky at the beginning of the year, but at the end of the year, things started clicking, and I finally started winning all of my matches.”
Earning a first-round bye as the second seed, Radsky needed to win two matches for the conference title. He wrestled smartly in the first, taking an 11-8 decision to advance to the finals. Radsky had a few hours to kill before the finals matches got underway at 7 p.m., so with Davidson hosting the SoCon Championship for the first time since 1988, he made use of the hometown advantage and went home for a nap.
“You have to relax,” said Radsky. “I was definitely more nervous for my first match then the finals match, just because it was the first match of the day.”
Refreshed and relaxed, Radsky's confidence only rose as his finals match went on.
Said Radsky, “I felt good because during the first two periods, I made most of the attacks. [Statum] really wasn't putting me in any danger. I remember thinking, especially during the second and third periods, that 'I need to open up more, because I need to get this takedown.' I knew that one takedown was probably going to decide the match. In the third period I got a good shot off and finished, and that was the match. I would have had to have done something to blow it to lose after that first takedown.”
Again, he's being completely serious and not gloating at all.
Winning did not change Radsky's focus, though. Following the victory, he was already focused on the next step.
“It feels great to win,” said Radsky after the awards ceremony. “This was the culmination of a season's worth of work, but it's not over yet. I want to do well at the national championships.”
Radsky's first-round opponent Thursday in the NCAA Championships is the fifth-place finisher in the Big Ten Championships, Ohio State's Ian Paddock. The two met this past summer and practiced, but did not wrestle an actual match.
What did he think of his opponent? How does he think he will fare?
Let's just say he's confident.
Davidson Wrestling vs Sacred Heart
Saturday, December 16
Wrestling vs. Duke (STREAM)
Friday, December 08
Inside Davidson Wrestling - Episode 2
Wednesday, November 08
Davidson Wrestling vs VMI
Saturday, February 04