The Sharks wrestling team sent 10 guys to Detroit Feb. 28, through March 1, to compete for individual state titles.
The 10 wrestlers who competed were Rudy Clapp, Owen Fogel, Cole Grollimund, Alex Rodriguez, Colin Kuhn, Laythan Haworth, Maddox Cline, Drew Challender, Justin Rodriguez, and Raman Frye.
At Ford Field, the Sharks started the tournament off going 5-10 in the first round with wins from Owen Fogel, Alex Rodriguez, Colin Kuhn, Maddox Cline, and Drew Challender.
After the first round, each individual took his own path for the rest of the time, but Fogel, Rodriguez, and Challender all made it into the finals at their weight class. In the finals as all three wrestled very good matches and were very close to winning the title but only one of them came out on top and that was Fogel, who won the 113 pound division four weight class.
Fogel is a three time placer for the Sharks placing at 106 twice and then winning it all at 113 this season. He said, “It felt amazing that all the hard work finally paid off. Unimaginable feeling. It’s a feeling that you have to be there to understand.”
Grollimund had his first taste of the state tournament this year as he took seventh and he said, “As a freshman I honestly did not know if I would place. The doubt was definitely there, and I was nervous the entire time. I really did enjoy the experience though. Being seen as an underdog was extremely exciting. People overlooked me thinking I wouldn’t place. That was the energy I needed. It was definitely an amazing experience, and I do believe it opened my eyes to the real wrestling and showed how good people are. It was the tournament of a lifetime, and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.”
The Sharks who ended the weekend with a medal were Fogel with first, Challender and Rodriguez with second, Kuhn took fourth, Cline took 6th, and Haworth and Grollimund both took 7th. That is the most medals at an individual state tournament in St. Louis history.
This marks the end of the Shark wrestling season, which was a season full of memories for all of those involved but the Sharks look to continue their dominance into the future.
