Virginia wrestler Cody Gardner is the king of the mat

Never one to shy from competition on the mat, Cody Gardner, a powerful 215-pounder from Christiansburg (Va.) High, has established a stronghold on the title of the nation's top-ranked wrestler.

Christiansburg's Cody Gardner (left) has grappled his way to the top of the high school wrestling rankings. Courtesy of Keith Gardner

By winning championships in the three biggest tournaments of the season -- the Ironman, Beast of the East, and Powerade -- he has increased his winning streak to 89 matches and his career record to a 152-6, which includes 106 pins.

"I haven't been [kept from escaping] since my first match my freshman year," says Gardner, who will wrestle for Virginia Tech next year. "I've never been pinned in high school, though I was once in a summer freestyle meet. The hammerlock is my signature hold and I use it pretty much all the time. My best physical attribute is real strong hips and I'm real quick, too."

Such success has raised eyebrows as well as the level of expectations, anticipating overwhelming performances and awaiting quick pins in every match.

"I think I have more accomplishments than anybody else," Gardner says. "A lot of people get down on me because I've been having close matches. I don't think I should have to dominate everybody."

It is Gardner's penchant for pinning down defining moments that has piqued the nations' attention. Three times Gardner has nipped Blair Academy's Jared Platt by one point. He defeated the Penn State-recruit, 4-3, during the 2005 Beast of the East; 2-1 in double overtime during the 2006 Junior Nationals freestyle tourney, and 6-5 in the 2006 Ironman.

"I guess I always seem to win if it's a close match," Gardner says. "It seems I can handle pressure real well. Close matches are fun. Killing people, in a sense, is not as much fun."

Platt, who has one more shot at Gardner on Feb. 3, says, "I think he deserves it [the No. 1 ranking]. He pins everybody. We wrestled when we were kids and he has made such tremendous jumps. He's really good on defense. I think what really helps is the people he works out with at Virginia Tech."

Unlike his record against Platt, the respect is not one-sided. "He's been the toughest kid I've wrestled," Gardner says of Platt. "He's the No. 2 kid in the country. He's supposed to give me a [challenging] match."

Christiansburg coach Daryl Weber, a former national champion at the University of Iowa, believes Gardner has earned his No. 1 ranking the hard way. "He's proven himself over the past couple of years," Weber says. "He wrestles like a little guy. The past three years our team has had one of the toughest schedules in the country. He didn't dodge anybody and he doesn't back down to anybody."

That intensity and drive have been packed into Gardner's repertoire ever since he first put on a singlet at Christiansburg. "A lot of kids come in athletic and tough," Weber adds. "Not many can compete against guys they are not supposed to beat. When he was a freshman he went against the Ohio state champion and didn't just beat him, but major-decisioned him."

While preparing to help the Blue Demons win their sixth consecutive Virginia Class AA state title, Gardner is also looking toward the next level at Virginia Tech, which is just five miles from his home.

Gardner, who has a 3.0 GPA, wants to wrestle in the heavyweight division (maximum of 285 pounds) when he enters college. He believes he can get up to 245 or 255 pounds.

"He's going to have to work at it and put on some muscle," says Weber. "Sometimes it's harder than cutting weight. He'll have to eat six or seven meals a day and be really disciplined about it."

More Notes

• Sparked by 189-pound champion Mike Benefiel, Montini Catholic (Lombard, Ill.) was crowned champion last Saturday at The Clash national wrestling tournament in Rochester, Minn. Montini Catholic and Apple Valley (Minn.) both posted 5-1 records in the fifth annual 32-team tournament, but Montini Catholic nipped Apple Valley, 33-32. The Broncos' only loss was to Carl Sandburg of Orland Park (Ill.), 42-24.

• Washington High (South Bend, Ind.) won the girls portion of the annual Indiana Hall of Fame Classic with a 65-51 victory over host New Castle (Ind.). Hounded by a triangle-and-two defense, sophomore guard Skylar Diggins still scored 23 points and was named MVP. Diggins had 24 points in a 71-69 overtime victory over Heritage Christian (Indianapolis). MVP Stephen Thomas scored 17 points to lead Cathedral (Indianapolis) to a 55-44 victory over New Castle to win the boys division. Cathedral upset favored Valparaiso (Ind.), 52-49, in overtime as Thomas scored 19 points in the semifinals.

• Eric Gordon erupted for a career-high 50 points last Friday to lead North Central (Indianapolis) past East Chicago, 73-62, in the championship game of the North Central Tournament. The Indiana-signee shot 17-of-24 from the field and 12-of-13 from the free throw line and pulled down 11 rebounds. Purdue-recruit E'Twaun Moore paced East Chicago with 27 points.

• Freshman Emily Gelber (Scarsdale, N.Y.) was the surprise champion in girls 18 singles on Monday at the United States Tennis Association Winter Nationals in Phoenix. She did not lose a set and defeated four seeded players, including Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.), 6-3, 6-4, in the finals. Gelber missed most of the past summer due to an injury and got into the tournament as a wild card. The boys 18 champion was Ryan Thacher (Studio City, Calif.), who defeated Reid Carleton (Naples, Fla.), 6-4, 6-3, in the finals. Thacher, the defending champion, did not lose a set during the tourney and now has won 26 consecutive matches.