Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE -ÊFor many area wrestlers the season has been over for a few weeks. But for three wrestlers from Wawasee -ÊMike Hanlin, Josh DeGood and Tom Bryan -Êthe season is far from finished.
Bryan, DeGood and Hanlin, along with Warsaw's Anthony Boley, Isaac Perry, Kris Hueber, Joey Navarro and NorthWood's Jesse Espinoza, Nick Roelandts and Brandon Garner, wrestle in the New Haven Semistate at the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum this weekend.
Tomorrow, they will battle some of the best wrestlers in the state for the chance to move on to the state competition.
But getting to the semistate competition is not an easy task.
Most wrestlers have been working most their lives to perfect their skill. Bryan, DeGood and Hanlin have been wrestling competitively since they were in the sixth grade.
"I was in the sixth grade and was looking for something to do between football and track," said Bryan.
"Coach Taylor was a teacher at the middle school when I was there, and he talked to me about wrestling," said Hanlin. "I started wrestling in sixth grade, and it's just something I got into. Now I really like it."
DeGood actually started wrestling in the freestyle program when he was in third grade, but did not take the sport seriously until he was older.
"I was in third grade when I started wrestling," said DeGood. "I used to watch (high school state) matches on TV and I heard about the Wawasee freestyle team. I just started from there. But I didn't really work very hard at it until I got in sixth grade."
But these wrestlers did not get where they are without setting goals and working hard.
"At the beginning of the season, I wanted to go undefeated," said Bryan. "But after that didn't happen, I want to make it to state."
"I want to make it to state," said DeGood. "Even if I just get to wrestle one match at state, I will feel good about it. A lot of kids dream about going to state. I'd like to place high, but just getting there would be an honor."
"My goal at the beginning of the season was to win the sectional and place at the regional," said Hanlin. "I switched it around, though. I placed at sectional and won the regional. I'm proud of that, but I would like to make it to the state qualifying round."
Although each of the Wawasee wrestlers have received honors and recognition for their efforts, they are fueled by something else.
"All wrestlers would like to go to state, but the reason we wrestle is pride and the love of the sport," said DeGood. "We wrestle because we love it. Wrestling takes a lot of hard work and self-discipline, but we know it will pay off in the end."
Bryan, DeGood and Hanlin will travel to Fort Wayne Saturday, where they will meet up with the wrestlers from Warsaw and NorthWood. The first round of wrestling will begin at 9:30 a.m.
NEW HAVEN SEMISTATE
When: Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum
Local schools represented: NorthWood, Warsaw, Wawasee
Local wrestlers' first-round matches
103 -ÊAnthony Boley (War/26-7) vs. Brandon Wiley (FW North Side/28-3)
112 -ÊJosh DeGood (Waw/27-11) vs. Kevin Russell (Goshen/19-9)
112 -ÊJessie Espinoza (NW/31-1) bye
119 -ÊNick Roelandts (NW/22-3) vs. Brian Tun (FW Wayne/30-3)
125 -ÊMike Hanlin (Waw/19-5) bye
130 -ÊBrandon Garner (NW/24-10) vs. Matt Briner (Peru/44-2)
160 -ÊIsaac Perry (War/34-1) bye
215 -ÊKris Heuber (War/31-3) vs. Thad Conley (East Noble/27-5)
275 -ÊTom Bryan (Waw/33-4) vs. Jason Dickison (Elkhart Memorial/30-9)
275 -ÊJoey Navarro (War/33-1) bye
