Spencerport senior Bourne yearns to add a state title to his resume
www.rochesterdemocratandchronicle.com
Scott Pitoniak

December 7, 2007 4:00 am — Complacency is one opponent Bryan Bourne won't have to grapple with during his final season of high school wrestling. Yes, the Spencerport senior already has two national titles and four Section V championships on his resume. But the title that has eluded him is what will drive him this winter. "I want to win a state championship," Bourne said after practice the other day. "That's been my goal every season. There's a lot of prestige that goes with a state championship because New York is such a good state for wrestling."

Last year, Bourne made it all the way to the finals in the 160-pound weight class before losing. He finished third the year before, and as an eighth-grader he placed fifth.

"In the past, I could always say, 'I still have a bunch of years to do it,'" he said. "Now I can't say that. This is my final shot."

Bill Jacoutot, the gifted coach who has placed an exclamation point on Spencerport's reputation as a wrestling dynasty, notices Bourne's sense of urgency each practice.

"Bryan is not embarrassed that he hasn't won one — nor should he be, given all that he's accomplished," he said. "But he is frustrated about it. And frustration, if used the way Bryan is using it, can be a great motivator."

The fact that Rochester will be hosting the state tournament for the first time in nearly two decades will provide additional incentive. To win it all on his final go-around in front of a large, supportive home crowd at the Blue Cross Arena this March would be oh, so sweet.

"We've had a loyal following of fans on hand when it was in Albany and Long Island, but having it here will be as different as night and day," Bourne said. "It would be great to see several Section V guys wearing gold at the end of that tournament, and I think that could happen."

Interestingly, Bryan's dad, Chris Bourne, was instrumental in bringing the tournament to Rochester after such a long hiatus. The older Bourne is the athletic director at Brockport High School and also serves as Section V's wrestling coordinator.

He was quite a wrestler himself at East Rochester High and Cortland State in the 1970s. Chris passed on his love of the sport to his sons — Bryan, 17, and Mike, 25. Mike Bourne, a sectional champion at 140 pounds for Wayne Central and Spencerport, now coaches varsity wrestling at Kendall.

"I knew my dad had been very successful at it, but I think I got involved because I wanted to follow in my big brother's footsteps," Bryan said.

Until Mike took the Kendall job a few years ago, he and his little brother would spend plenty of time on the mats in the famous wrestling room at Spencerport.

"We had some pretty good brawls there," Bryan said, laughing.

Like his brother, Bryan also played high school soccer. He was the captain of a Spencerport team that shared a sectional championship this fall.

"I really enjoy playing it because it helped keep me in shape and it gave me a break from wrestling, which can take its toll on your body if you do it year-round," he said.

Bryan also excels in the classroom. He carries a 3.88 grade-point average and is interested in attending Cornell, Columbia or the University of Pennsylvania, where he plans to study investment banking or economics.

But before majoring in business, he hopes to attend to some unfinished business on the mat.

Bourne has two goals, really, and each involves a state title. The senior captain wants to win his weight division while leading the Rangers to the state team title.

"Whether you like it or not, your teammates do look up to you when you are captain, so I take that role very seriously," he said. "You set the tone, good or bad."

The example Bourne sets is a very good one.

"We have a bunch of great motivated kids, and I easily could have named a couple of our seniors as captains," Jacoutot said. "But I wanted to stick with just Bryan because he is the most respected kid in that wrestling room. When push comes to shove, he's the kid all the others feed off of. He's the kid I have demonstrate all the moves. He truly is a leader."