Neshaminy senior comes on strong After a shaky start in December, Jack Fleming has gone undefeated in 2001 and is favored to repeat as 189-pound section champion. By TOM WARING Courier Times Jack Fleming's wrestling career didn't get off to such a great start. The youngster was pinned quite often. "I was really bad," he recalled. "I came off the mat crying." Fleming, though, did not become discouraged. He stuck with the sport and eventually became good enough to go undefeated at the ninth-grade level. As a Neshaminy High School sophomore, Fleming showed he could compete at the varsity level by winning the William Tennent Tournament. As a junior, he won the 189-pound Section One tournament. Now, Fleming is a senior and wrestling better than ever. He's 23-5 - undefeated in 2001. On the eve of sectionals, Fleming is the favorite to repeat as the 189-pound champion. Other Redskins who look like good bets to win gold medals are Jon Denny, Rich Palmer and once-beaten sophomore heavyweight Geoff Donahue. Fleming's pin in last year's sectional final clinched the team title for Neshaminy. He's looking for back-to-back team titles, but sees a close three-team race with Pennsbury and Council Rock. "It might come down to me and Geoff," Fleming said. Fleming, 17, thinks he's stronger and quicker this year. He attributes his improvement on the mat to attending a summer wrestling camp at Edinboro University. There were some rocky times in December, with Fleming absorbing all five of his losses. But, those losses were to quality opponents in top-notch tournaments. Since then, he hasn't lost. One of his most impressive victories was a technical fall over Abington's Nate Knox, who eliminated him in last year's District One North tournament. "That match was a measuring stick," Fleming said of his dominating victory over Knox. Fleming also posted a victory over North Penn's Mike Jaeger, who had beaten him in two previous meetings. That victory was tempered by the fact that Neshaminy lost to the Knights. His success has caught the eyes of college coaches. He attended the Penn-Princeton match at the Palestra on Wednesday. Other schools he's considering are Ursinus, Cornell, Bucknell, Pittsburgh and the Citadel. He projects as a 174- or 184-pounder in college. Fleming, who will study psychology, is an excellent student. He has a 4.25 grade-point average and is ranked 11th among 700 seniors. He scored 1350 on the SAT and is the reigning Langhorne Rotary Club Student of the Month. Before leaving Neshaminy, Fleming has some unfinished business on the wrestling mat. He's 45-19 in his career and has a goal of reaching win No. 50. That shouldn't be a problem. Fleming also would like to win a district title and, judging by various area rankings, he's likely to do so. Next would be the Southeast Regional, where Fleming will not be the favorite. That title, barring a major upset, will belong to Upper Darby's Joel Edwards, who is ranked third in the state. Ultimately, Fleming would like to qualify for and earn a medal at the PIAA Class AAA championships by finishing in the top eight. "I'll be able to judge how well I can do at states after I face Edwards," he said. Edwards, though, is two weeks away. Fleming would like to pocket two gold medals before then. Note: Council Rock will host sectionals tomorrow. The first round begins at 10 a.m. The championship and consolation finals are set for 7 p.m. Friday, February 16, 2001