Takedown Report

Xavier Najar Presented Stokes Award as top Tar-Roanoke area wrestler

The TakeDown Report presented the 18^th annual Michael Stokes Award to State Placer Xavier Najar of North Pitt, as the Top Tar-Roanoke Area Wrestler in 2011.  Najar placed 3^rd in the state as a senior.  He was a 2 time State Qualifier with 113 career wins.  He set a new school record for wins in a season with 45.  His only regular season loss was when he moved up to 189.  His next loss was in the state semi-finals and then he bounced back to dominate his next two opponents to place 3^rd.
Najar was also the 3^rd Regional Champ in school history and a 4 time conference champion.  Coach Todd Cochran praised Xavier as “a great example of hard work paying off.”  Najar did not become involved in wrestling until challenged by his younger brother who had attended a local wrestling camp.  “He said he could beat me since he was a wrestler so took that as a challenge and went out for the high school team my freshman year.” Najar shared.  When asked if his younger brother could beat him Najar grinned while saying “Nah, … not now.”  Xavier’s is looking to attend college in this fall.   He may continue wrestling as a ‘walk-on’ at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke or focus just on his academics at North Carolina A & T.  Najar explained “… wrestling has made me more aware of success in academics and athletics.”
Xavier was also the top 171 pounder in all of eastern North Carolina and received a wooden plaque engraved with his name.  The TDR has publicized and published a ranking of the top 12 in each weight in eastern North Carolina for the 12^th year.  Each year the TDR prints shirts with the names of all the wrestlers on the back.  They are for sale to fans and wrestling enthusiasts.
Michael Stokes wrestled the 1981-1984 seasons at Tarboro High School and with a (96 – 4) career record.  He was North Carolina’s 2nd 3-time State Champion when there was only one individual champion at a weight in the state. He wrestled for N.C. State and won ACC wrestling titles in 1988 and 1989 and was named the ACC Most Valuable Wrestler both years.  His record of 68 wins 8 losses and 3 ties (.879) is the best career winning percentage at NC State.  He finished second at the NCAA Nationals at 126lbs in 1989 to Kendall Cross, the eventual Olympic Gold medalist. Stokes co-captained the Wolfpack in 1989 and one of the ACC’s all time 50 greatest wrestlers as recognized during the conference’s 50th anniversary celebration.  Stokes credits wrestling as “providing me with a mental toughness that enables me to remove boundaries that stand in my way.  Wrestling has given me the sheer determination to believe that I can conquer anything that I set my mind to do.”  
             Previous Stokes Award wrestlers include Joe Young of Northern Nash (2010), Corey Smith of Tarboro (2009), Jasmine Cooper of Nash Central (2008), Eric Wischhusen, (2007), Roylando Lucas (2001) and Ira Bing (2000) of Southern Nash, John Brewer (2006) of Wilson Fike, Anthony Taylor (2005) of Rocky Mount, Sammi Hadi (2004) and Ryan Huffman (1997) of SouthWest Edgecombe, Charles Washington (2003) of Northern Nash, Quadric Eason (2002), Mike Christopher (1999 & 1998), Tony Mercer (1996) and Lee Carroll (1994 & 1995) of Tarboro.      
            The TDR, an on-line publication promoting amateur wrestling in eastern North Carolina, sponsors the Awards.  “These awards are named to recognize great wrestlers from before and the current student-athletes for their efforts,” Editor Martin Fleming noted.  The TakeDown Report has published 14 years in North Carolina reporting results and encourages media coverage of the sport.  Contact the TDR at tdr@tarboronc.com.

June 3, 2011 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | 1 Comment