Grapplers win back-to-back district titles
IMAGE / Mr. Paul Gaudard
Senior Coi Jenkins (left), sophomore Andy Ruhstorfer, and junior Dylan Tarrence hold their winning brackets from the Metro League Championship at Fenton on Saturday, Feb. 6. The Hornets won their district tournament Wednesday, Feb. 10.
After the wrestling team won its league championship, the Hornets followed up with an MHSAA district title Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Wrestling on their home mats, Kearsley pinned Clio, 42-22, in the title match after beating Flint Southwestern, 66-10.
Six Hornets won their matches against Clio.
Freshman Malik Davis (145 pounds), sophomore Chance Thompson (112), juniors Zach Elizondo (125), Dominic Buterakos (130), and Dylan Tarrence (171), and senior Gabe Reese (152).
This is the second consecutive year that Kearsley has won the district title, and the 11th time they have won in 16 years.
For the grapplers, this is great, but they are not finished yet.
Since Kearsley is ranked No. 9 in Division 2, the Hornets have hopes to win the regional meet this year.
The meet will be held in Mt. Pleasant, Wednesday, Feb. 17.
The Hornets will wrestle against Owosso in a semifinal. The other semifinal pits Bay City Central against Escanaba.
In addition, Kearsley has five wrestlers ranked individually in the Top 10; whereas, Owosso only has one.
Seniors Travis Wildfong and Aaron Ruhstorfer, Tarrence, and Davis are the four remaining from Kearsley that wrestled at the state quarterfinals last year.
The wrestling team celebrates its district championship Wednesday, Feb. 10 at Kearsley. The team takes on Owosso at its regional meet Wednesday, Feb. 17, in Mt. Pleasant.
The sting of losing in the quarterfinals last year has motivated Tarrence. He plans to dominate the mat this year.
“I think that I have a pretty good chance of doing good at the semifinals,” Tarrance said. “I am excited and I think we have a good chance of taking them (Owosso) down.”
