Wrestling ends season, placing third at state

Micheal Simmons, Sports Editor

It’s always important how a Varsity team ends the season, because for many of the seniors, it’s the final chance they will have to play that sport. The Manhattan High Varsity wrestling team brought home a third place finish with a score of 142.5 points at the state tournament on Saturday.

“It’s a sense of gratification whenever you watch your athlete in the state tournament,” head coach Robert Gonzales said. “You know the effort that they out in, the daily grind and then having to keep their academic workload so you’re just really happy. State tournament is always lots of fun, it means the end of the season which is good for the kids — they need a break — but just a wonderful feeling of satisfaction for them.”

The seniors had a unique experience as some of them wrestled their final matches. AB Sanchez, Jalin Harper and Hunter Chirstensen all made it to the finals.
Sanchez placed fifth in the 138-pound category scoring 12 points while battling shoulder and knee injuries. Christensen placed sixth, losing 4-2 and scoring seven points, in the 285-pound category. Harper was facing off against a wrestler he had previously beaten twice throughout the season, but could not do it again, scoring 22 points and placing second in the 160-pound category.

“I thought we placed about as well as we could,” Gonzales said. “We lost some very tough and close matches. We won some exciting matches that maybe if you’re an outside observer you wouldn’t expect us to win, but like I tell our kids, we are Manhattan High, we are always going to go for the gold. I thought we wrestled real well. Our expectations were always to win the first place trophy, so anytime you can finish first second or third and receive a trophy out of the 32 teams that are in attendance, we are truly blessed.”

While it was a send-off for the seniors, several underclassman wrestlers made a major contribution. Freshman Joshua Pence placed third, scoring 16 points. Sophomore Tate Sauder placed second, scoring 20 points. Juniors Robert Houston and Christen Schlepp placed sixth scoring 10 and 11 points. Junior Quincy Saddler placed fifth scoring 15 points. Out of all 11 wrestlers that went, one state champion emerged.

“It felt amazing to win state,” junior Bubba Wilson said. “I can’t even describe the feelings, it was insane. It wasn’t for me, it was for my friend, when I lost earlier in the season I promised him and his family a state title and after getting beat at regionals it seemed out of the question, but I promised him I would find a way to get it done, and I was able to get it done for him.”

Wilson was able to score 27.5 points, making him the highest-scoring wrestler from MHS. While ending the season underclassmen were able to contribute 99.5 points, accounting for 70 percent of the team’s total points.

“When I compete I feel like nothing else matters in that moment,” Wilson said. “That’s what is so great about wrestling, it’s just two wrestlers out they’re, two dreams and only one person can win.”