A sure Betts

Fredonia wrestling coach Alex Conti knew he had something special in Kenny Betts when he was in seventh grade.He may not have guessed Betts would be a state champion and a two-time state finalist runner-up, but the senior standout and Western New York’s record holder for all-time wins has done just that.

Betts is 15 pins away from reaching the national record for pins set by Olympic medalist Steve Macka.

“He is still chasing the mark of 180,” Conti said. “One hundred sixty-five pins is close to unheard of. I don’t know of anyone in New York State that has accomplished that. The best part is we wrestle the best of the best – Spencerport, Corry, and our league. We chase down good opponents. For him to have that many pins is incredible.”

The goal of 180 pins didn’t seem too far off after Betts’ sophomore year as he recorded 39 pins. It broke a record held for 32 years by Keith Stearns at 36 pins.

“I started doing the math and realized that even if he pins just 35 wrestlers a year, he could catch the national record of 180. We knew it was in our sights then.”

What makes Betts’ run to 180 pins so impressive is the level of competition Betts faces and the fact he has only two forfeits in three years. Fredonia traditionally schedules the stiffest competition they can find year in and year out.

“That’s what I’m most proud of,” Conti continued. “We could go to some very soft tournaments, but we didn’t. We saw Spencerport four times in one year. When I beefed up the schedule a little more, I thought the record might not be possible. Then he came back with 38 more pins. I thought, ‘holy smokes, he still has a chance.’”

At the Corry tournament, Fredonia will likely face McDowell, Erie Prep, Fort Leboeuf and Cathedral Prep – some of the toughest teams in District 10. Facing those teams, Betts has never left the tournament with a record less than 7-1, including an 8-0 mark last year.

For a wrestler to be successful, he needs a good practice partner. Betts has had a better than good partner as he sparred with fellow state champions Chris Conti who now wrestles for the University of Buffalo.

“I hope UB is smart enough to get after Kenny,” coach Conti said. “Kenny’s a great role model. He is never going to be in trouble. He’s got a ton of wins, three-time state finalist and another one, hopefully, on the way. He is the right fit for up there. Kenny and Chris will get to be back together where they belong. Kenny has wanted to be at UB since he was four years old.”

If UB wrestling coach Jim Beichner wants a wrestler that has 165 pins and 241 wins and counting, Betts is just a phone call away.