Cedar Springs Youth Wrestlers and their medals.
It looks like the Cedar Springs Youth Wrestling program is off to a running start to another great wrestling season this year. Belding hosted one of the first tournaments of the 2014 season on January 5, at Belding high school. Eighteen out of 24 of our young Red Hawk wrestlers received medals. Of those 18 wrestlers, half of them were novice, meaning they are with in the first two years of competition.
In the Novice 09-07 division, medal winners were Veronica Tapia 3rd/37lb, Brandson Wood 2nd/43lb, Elijah Troost Jr. 4th/49lb, Gavyn Byxbe 4th/52lb, and Pistachio Gonzales 2nd/55lb. In the novice 06-05 division, medal winners were Jeremiah Simons who took 2nd at 58lbs and Lane Wiggins-Russo who took 1st at 112lbs. Rounding out the novice division was Zoe Gonzales who took 2nd at the 04-03, 67lb class.
In the 06-05 Open division, Keaton Klaasen took 2nd in the 06-05, 49lb class. In the 04-03 division medal winners were Trevor Marsman took 1st/63lb, Tacho Gonzales 3rd/67lb, Aiden Bouwens 2nd/95lb, and Sergie Byxbe 4th/110. In the 02-01 division were Logan Hull 4th/90lb, Reese Gonzales 2nd/95lb and Samuel Couturier 2nd/112lb. In the 00-99 division was Allexis Gonzales 3rd/130lb and Gage Gardner 1st/145lb.
Also hosted on January 5, at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, was the Spartan Country “Superbowl of Wrestling” Tournament. Ryan Ringler, seventh grader at Cedar Springs Middle School, was crowned the 2014 Champion in the 02-01, 158lb division, after wrestling some of the toughest kids in the state of Michigan. Ryan had a stellar year last year at the bottom of his age group, also winning the 2013 Superbowl Champion. He is guaranteed to be the top wrestler in his age group and weight class this year. Ryan is only one of the many talented wrestlers coming out of the youth wrestling program.
On December 8, 2013, MYWAY Wrestling hosted the MYWAY National Dual team tryouts at Hartland High School in Hartland, Mich. Wrestlers from all over the state of Michigan attended the try-outs for the National traveling team. Five wrestlers and two coaches from Cedar Springs will be representing the youth program on three of those teams. Landon Demorest won the 50lb spot on the MYWAY U-10 Boys team. Ryan Ringler won the 133lb spot on the MYWAY U-12 Boys team with his father, Paul Ringler as assistant coach. Cora, Reese and Allexis Gonzales will all be on the MYWAY Girls 14 and under team. Youth wrestling head coach, George Gonzales Sr., will be at the reigns of the Girls’ 2014 team. All three of the teams will be traveling to Ohio State University in February.
Wrestling can get very expensive, with costs of up to $1,000 of personal expenses per tournament, when travelling with national teams. Anyone who may be interested in sponsoring any of our talented youth wrestlers is encourage to make donations to Choice One Bank in Cedar Springs under the Cedar Springs Youth Wrestling Club or contact Coach George Gonzales Sr. at 616-299-2812 or treesbygeorge@charter.net. An investment with our youth today, will yield many rewards tomorrow. You can ask any wrestler.
