As the regular season of wrestling came to an end, wrestlers accomplished great success ending at the state tournament. The week ended with four wrestlers medaling, and the other five wrestlers still achieving a lot of growth.
“The Cats had a rollercoaster of a State Tournament but, at the end of it, they finished on top. They showed great grit and toughness to fight through the raw emotions that the state tournament brings out in everyone,” head boys wrestling coach Justin Wisdom said.
Compared to previous years, Ladycat wrestlers had quite a higher number of girls punching their ticket to state. Senior Brooklyn Jackman, sophomore Izzy Schierholz, and freshman Emmersyn Miskell all attended the state tournament.
“The addition of a third wrestler to the state tournament this year is a clear testament to the continued growth of the Warsaw girls wrestling program. As the level of competition intensifies, so does the commitment and strength of our athletes. These young women dedicate countless hours and energy to their craft, and their progress reflects both their individual hard work and the overall development of the program. We are excited to see their continued success and the rising talent in girls wrestling,” head girls wrestling coach Aspen Longworth said.
The state tournament has been expressed as a great experience for all wrestlers.
“I never thought I would be going to state as a sophomore, I was really excited to get out there and wrestle and give it my all. I am really proud of how far I have come and I can’t wait to do it again next year.” Schierholz said.
As another season ended, it also meant the end for careers of senior wrestlers. Jackman began her wrestling career in her freshman year, and has reflected on her progress.
“It meant the world to me to attend the state tournament. I have always wanted to make it to state and show that even though I wasn’t the best wrestler when I first started, I had the capability to get better,” Jackman said.
Along with major success within the girls, there was also history made. Freshman Emmersyn Miskell was the first female to medal at state. Miskell ended her season with a win, capturing a fifth place medal.
“I feel proud to be a Wildcat. It’s truly an honor to have reached this achievement in Warsaw history. I feel thankful and humbled about it,” Miskell said. As history was being accomplished, there was a feeling of greatness from coaches as well.
“Watching Emmersyn make history as Warsaw’s first-ever freshman wrestler to earn a state medal—along with being the first girl from our program to achieve this milestone—was incredible. It was a powerful reminder of the hard work and dedication she has put in, and the impact this achievement will have not only on her career but also on the future of the entire program. Her success marks a pivotal moment in our team’s journey, and I couldn’t be more proud of all she has accomplished,” Longworth said.
As the Ladycats saw success, the Wildcats also accomplished some great things. There were three boys that medaled. Senior Drake Murrell ended his career with a third place finish, while also achieving his 150th win in his last match.
“Being a senior, it put a little different perspective on the tournament, it kind of took some of the pressure off but added a little bit of a sense of urgency. Overall, I was supported by great family, friends, and coaches my whole career. My experience at state was really fun this year,” Murrell said.
Junior Jayce Estes also captured a third place finish at state.
“I didn’t get the outcome I wanted at state, I had a few minor mistakes but still did pretty decent, that led me to my third-place finish. It sucked that I had only one loss from the whole season and it was at state, but it’s just gonna make me want it more next year,” Estes said.
Lastly, Junior Josh Harvath sealed a fifth place finish, leading him to a spot on the podium for the first time in his career.
“It’s always a great experience being at state with your teammates and coaches. I enjoyed the time spent with my teammates in the hotel and being able to be in the state atmosphere with them,” Harvath said.
Experience has been explained as a big part in attending the state tournament, while being in a different atmosphere of wrestling.
“The raw emotion that the state wrestling tournament brings is something that cannot be explained unless you have lived it. From heartbreak to the elation of success on the biggest stage makes it a very special atmosphere,” Wisdom said.
Overall, there were goals achieved that were set prior to the season.
“I had a goal of 6 qualifiers (we qualified 9, boys and girls included) . . . I also had the goal of bringing home 4 state medals and we achieved that goal. We are able to finish in the top 10 for the second straight year (9th) which is a great accomplishment,” Wisdom said.
The three other qualifiers from the boys team included: Junior Sean Reinertsen, freshmen Bostyn Wilson and Jordan Decker. Reinertsen and Wilson fell one win short of being on the podium. Decker was also only two wins away. Additionally, with having two freshmen making it to state, they both reflected on their experience.
“It was a really cool and fun experience, and I would love to go back! It gives me more of a drive to do better for years to come,” Wilson said.
Being a qualifier for the state tournament as a freshman had a big impact.
“I plan to use my first experience at state as motivation for next year to work harder in the room and not give up when things get hard, so next year I can bring a medal home,” Decker said.
Overall, Ladycats and Wildcats found great success, not only at the state tournament, but also within the season.
“I was most proud of the way that our wrestlers all fought through the adversity that we faced. The State Tourney can make cowards out of many, but our kids were not one of those. Our kids were able to endure their emotions/challenges and end the tourney on a 4-match win streak, winning all four of their medal matches,” Wisdom said.
