Adam Donovan

Barry Faulkner

More mongoose than cobra, Adam Donovan prefers to sit back, take in

his adversary’s aggression, then pounce with purpose.

So, too, when it came to his prep wrestling career, has the Costa

Mesa High senior delayed his ultimate attack, learning and

progressing his first three years, until exploding into prominence

this year with a 39-11 record.

Though Donovan won a Pacific Coast League title as a junior -- he

subsequently was eliminated early in the CIF Southern Section

individual championships -- he did not begin to approach his

potential until his swan-song campaign.

Due, in large part, to the arrival of Coach Brett Shainfeld,

Donovan quickly became convinced he could compete with the best of

his 152-pound rivals. The results have backed up this suspicion. He

won two tournaments, finished second at four others and finished

runner-up at league finals, losing the championship match to a rival

from juggernaut Santa Ana.

After winning twice to start the CIF Southern Division

championships, he lost in the quarterfinals, forcing him to “wrestle

back” to remain in contention in the double-elimination tournament.

The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week worked his way to the third-place

match, before falling for the second time in the tournament to a

rival from Northview High in Covina. He was 5-2 at the meet.

By finishing fourth, he became the lone Newport-Mesa qualifier for

the CIF Masters Meet, a gathering of all division qualifiers from the

Southern Section, who will vie for one of eight spots in the CIF

State Championships. The Masters meet begins Friday and concludes

Saturday at Fountain Valley High.

Donovan said his fourth-place finish last week created mixed

emotions.

“I was disappointed, because I didn’t really wrestle well all

weekend,” Donovan said. “But I wrestled well enough not to lose and

I’m happy I qualified for Masters.”

Donovan has had little to be disappointed about this season,

according to Shainfeld.

“He has wrestled well all year and worked hard on improving his

basic techniques,” Shainfeld said. “He is probably one of the hardest

workers in the (practice) room. I think he realized he had a lot of

natural ability and he may have shorted himself his first three

years.”

Donovan, who played soccer for eight years before converting to

wrestling his freshman year, said some disappointing losses his

junior season prompted thoughts about returning to soccer. Instead,

he recommitted to wrestling and has had no regrets.

The best thing about wrestling is that it’s not a team sport,”

said Donovan, who is so competitive, he sometimes irritates his

teammates in practice. “If you lose a match, you have no one to blame

but yourself. I like that and I like the challenge the sport gives

me.”

When it comes to challenging opponents, Donovan, described by his

coach as a counterpuncher, prefers not to make the first move.

“I’ll be aggressive, but not overly aggressive,” Donovan said. “I

think cautious is a good word to describe it. I want to wait for

someone to make a mistake, then take advantage.”

Shainfeld said Donovan’s 6-foot-1 frame, tall for his weight

class, allows him to utilize his length and long legs to his

advantage.

“He’s difficult to wrestle, because he doesn’t subscribe to the

standard method of attack,” Shainfeld said. “He’s good in scramble

situations and he’s comfortable with guys shooting in on him. He’s so

leggy, he can wrap his legs around a guy and gain control.”

Donovan said he controls his own ability to achieve his preseason

goal: to reach the state meet.

“I’m really proud of this season, because I feel like I stepped

up,” he said. “I don’t think I had 50 matches combined my first three

years and Coach Shainfeld was a major factor in my success. If I

wrestle to my ability, I feel like I have a real good chance to

qualify for state.”