Tri-State is one of the main tournaments the varsity boys go to for wrestling. The Lakeland Hawks headed to NIC on Dec Friday the 13th through Saturday the 14th. The team was able to come in 20th out of 55 teams.
Zach Teal is the Tri-State champion at 98 pounds for the Hawks.
“I did not feel nervous because it was a 12-man bracket,” Teal said.
With such a small bracket, Teal was disappointed to only wrestle three matches, but overall, he knew going in that he was stronger and heavier than in previous years. He had the confidence that he would outskill the other wrestlers.
Kaleb Hammer came to Tri-State after not wrestling for the past two years due to injuries. This year at Tri-State, he made his way to the Semi-Finals but lost moving him to the consultation side of the bracket. He fought his way to the back of the bracket and took fifth.
Carson Leonard also made his way to the Semis finals but also got put to the backside of the bracket and battled his way back to sixth place.
“I wrestled badly the first day but I did better the second day,” Leonard said. “I am not happy with the outcome, but I am happy with how I performed. I need to work on being more consistent. I am excited for the rest of the season. I think I will compete well all year.”
Cole Cooper and Justin Baxter made it to the second day of the tournament and were put out in the blood rounds. The Lakeland wrestling teams looked solid this year and had a Tri-State champion and two placers.
The girls team wrestled at the Lake land tournament Adalyn Lisenbe placed third at 138, Teagan Patrick placed 2nd at 107.
The next tournament for the girls is George Wild at Kellogg high school Dec 20th and 21st. The boys next tournament is the 27th and it is the 5A dual tournament at Lakeland high school.
