The weight is over

Healthier diet has Landis shooting for a state title

February 4, 2011

By Robert Niedzwiecki - The Winchester Star       

WINCHESTER- Cody Landis' state title chances crumbled when he ran out of gas last season. This year the James Wood senior has a better diet, and his coach feels he's a serious contender to win the Group AA title at 125 pounds.

With blood on his teeth and lips Tuesday, Cody Landis emerged from James Wood's wrestling room and headed toward the trainer's room.

"You want to take a picture?" Landis, grinning with clenched teeth, said to a bystander.

Alas, no photographer was on hand. But if the postseason plays out the way Landis hopes, there'll be no need for him to make inquiries - people are always clamoring to take snapshots of the guy on top of the podium.

Before the season began, James Wood coach Greg Walker thought Landis (28-7 at 125 pounds this year) was capable of winning a state championship, and he hasn't changed his mind.

"It's there," said Landis, who only suffered a small cut on his lip Tuesday and returned to practice a few minutes later. "If I wrestle to my capability, it's possible."

A possibility is about all Landis can ask for. Because after becoming ill the night before his debut state tournament appearance at the Salem Civic Center last year, he felt he never really had a chance.

The 2011 postseason kicks off at 11:30 a.m. Saturday with the Northwestern District tournament at James Wood, and Landis is one of many wrestlers who hope the day marks the start of a glorious run. The senior is the defending district champion at 125 pounds and is undefeated against district competition. Landis has come a long way in the past two years, and by getting smaller, he actually crafted a bigger career for himself.

Landis first cracked James Wood's lineup as a sophomore, but he did it at 135 pounds, as that was about the only spot available to him in a talented lineup. Landis' record at the end of the year was only 20-21, but Walker said he laid the groundwork for a successful career.

"He had a competitive edge," Walker said. "He worked hard in the room, and he didn't want to lose."

Reluctantly, he did want to lose some weight.

At 5-foot-5, Landis thought he would be better served competing at a lower weight class. He began dieting halfway through the summer of 2009, but he didn't borrow his regimen from Weight Watchers. He cut out things like drinking soda, but he also cut out entire meals, sometimes skipping lunch.

Landis dropped enough weight to wrestle at 125 pounds, and his dieting method didn't seem to impact his wrestling much. En route to his first Group AA state tournament appearance, he went 34-16, won the district, and placed third in Region II.

That earned him a date with Tabb's Jordan Hunt in the first round of the Group AA tournament. For the longest time, it wasn't much of a match. By the end of the second period, Landis had twice put Hunt on his back, and he had him in a cradle as the end of the second neared.

But Landis, up 11-0, wasn't able to complete the fall before the period-ending whistle. And when Landis and Hunt took their positions to start the third, Walker could tell Landis was in trouble - his head was down, and he looked worn out after spending so much energy working for the pin that never came.

"I had full energy in the second period, then my body just shut down," Landis said. "I just went from strength to weakness.

"I've never had that happen before. It was very frustrating. I didn't even know what happened."

One minute and four seconds into the third period, Landis was the one who got pinned. His tournament ended later that day when he was pinned in the second period of a first round consolation match.

Actually, Landis has some idea what went wrong against Hunt. The night before, he began feeling ill, a product of not eating much in the days leading up to the state tournament in an attempt to keep his weight under control. Walker said he thinks the pressure that grips most wrestlers when they're first exposed to the raucous and intense atmosphere of the state tournament probably affected him too.

"He could have won a state title," Walker said. "If he won that first match, I think he could have at least gone to the finals. That was a major upset for us."

The bottom line is that the experience made Landis more determined than ever.

"It was very stressful," Landis said. "That's why I've wanted to wrestle so much better this year."

The first step was eating healthier and not skipping meals. Landis' diet now consists primarily of chicken, tuna, vegetables and fruit, and he says he feels better and has more energy than last season.

Teammate Jeremiah Cox (145 pounds) said Landis' vigor was on full display when he repeatedly did cannonballs (despite being asked to stop) into the hotel pool while James Wood was competing at the Virginia Duals in Hampton.

But if Landis is going to make it to the top, it will be mainly because of his skill, and he's demonstrated that at the highest level all year.

"He's got great technique," Walker said. "He's got four or five different takedowns that he can go to with great effectiveness. He's got great hips too. He can be flat on the mat one second and three feet in the air the next."

So Landis has the health, the talent, and after what happened in the past week, he might finally have the focused mindset he needs to put behind the consistency issues he's battled all year.

On Saturday, Landis lost in the finals of the Freedom (South Riding) Invitational, and Walker felt that wouldn't have happened if Landis hadn't made the mistake of asking around about his opponent's background.

Walker said that once Landis learned the Westfield wrestler had placed sixth in Group AAA a year ago, Landis started concerning himself with his opponent's reputation and not his own wrestling.

No wonder Landis hesitated when asked the day before if he knew who his main competition was for the state title.

"I'm just worried about wrestling to my capabilities, and wrestling how I was taught to wrestle," Landis said.

Landis said he's still kicking himself for not wrestling to his potential on Monday, when he needed an overtime takedown to defeat Millbrook's Warren Ramirez. Not that Ramirez (41-7) isn't good - Landis just has a tendency to lose focus.

For example, at the Willie Walters/Jaye Copp Holiday Tournament at James Wood, Landis followed an outstanding semifinal pin of Sherando's Brandon Fletcher with a mixed performance in the finals. He won by fall in 5:38, but he had only managed two escape points prior to dropping his foe.

"Monday night is still driving me crazy," Landis said. "I'm fired up for Saturday. I didn't wrestle very good Monday, and that really put a spark in me this week. I didn't wrestle to my capabilities at all. I didn't wrestle with my head on straight."

Landis just doesn't see that happening again.

"With districts, regions and states coming up, you know you need to start getting your stuff together," he said. "If you mess up at districts, that's going to mess up your shot for the rest of the season."

Because of everything Landis has meant to James Wood, Cox said he hopes the rest of the year turns out memorably for him.

"He loves the sport," said Cox, who credits Landis for making him a better wrestler. "I love seeing him win tournaments. I hope he wins the state title this year, because nothing would make me happier."

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