IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – Excitement surges as Iron Mountain High School’s Varsity Co-ed wrestling team gears up for the UP finals this weekend, with three standout seniors, Tyler Winch, Alex Wilson, and Fulton Stroud, already celebrating their remarkable 100th career wins.
Winch, expressing his determination, shared, “I’m trying to get as many [wins] as I can this year. I mean, I hit a hundred, but that was a goal I’ve been looking for all year, all season, all my high school career. But I mean, it feels good.”
Wilson, a seasoned competitor eyeing a UP title for the third consecutive year, reminisced about his recent victory at the Elks invitational, stating, “I hit it at the Elks invitational… looking to go for a UP title again for the third straight year.”
Stroud, more nonchalant about his achievement, reflected, “I hit it at the hodag tournament in Rhinelander. And I pinned my kid in the finals. And I mean, it’s alright. It’s like whatever, I guess.”
Adding to the anticipation, Shayna Hruska, was last year’s UP final’s first-ever female victor. The star senior is eager to secure her hundredth career win in the upcoming finals. She expressed, “I’m really excited to get it… most likely in the finals at U.P.’s. Because that’s like 3 matches away, so I’ll be close.”
For the team, traveling to big match-ups holds significant importance. Wilson emphasized, “It’s definitely important. I mean, we’re coming off two straight years of going down to team states, so I feel like we do have a lot of pressure on us.” Hruska highlighted, “It’s really important so that we get different competition and that we see different people. And that helps us as wrestlers to get better.”
Stroud echoed the sentiment, stating, “It’s pretty important for us to get better competition and face new kids and see what’s going on downstate.”
Winch emphasized the bonding experiences during travels, stating, “The bus rides and all the hotel rooms are such a bonding thing for the whole team. Sharing hotel rooms and enjoying music on the bus and stuff like that, that’s like – those are like core memories for the team that will stick with us forever.”
Looking ahead, Wilson shared his future goals, “Have a fun last year and hopefully send a lot of kids downstate with us. And have more fun than the prior years.”
For Stroud, sibling rivalry serves as motivation, as his older brother, Parker Stroud, is a collegiate wrestler for Lakeland College. He humorously declared, “Just one-up my brother.”
Hruska expressed her aspirations, saying, “I want to go to college to wrestle, so that’s what I want to do.” Lakeland College and Davenport University are high priorities on Hruska’s list of collegiate choices.
As the UP Championships approach, hosted by Marquette High School, anticipation builds for a thrilling competition set to commence at 9:30 EST. Iron Mountain High School’s wrestling stars are poised to make their mark and chase their championship dreams.
For more information about Iron Mountain HS Wrestling team’s upcoming meets, visit:
https://immountaineers.org/main/teamschedule/id/3807856/seasonid/4759651
For more on how to support the wrestling team as they fund their journeys to UP Finals, and eventually to State Championships, click to see yesterday’s story with details on the new fundraiser WZMQ just announced:
