LocalSportsJournal.com
HARTLAND — History was recorded by Mason County Central female wrestler Nyveah Wendt when she qualified for the first ever MHSAA individual state finals at the regional in Hartland on Saturday.
And she’s only a freshman.
Competing in the 105-pound weight class, Wendt started off strong with two consecutive wins. One of those was a pin in the quarterfinal round.
“Nyveah really wrestled better and better as the day went on,” Spartans’ head coach Kendel Trim said. “This was a huge tournament.
“Most brackets had 16 wrestlers each, but she was in one of a handful with 32 girls. I told her not to worry how many girls there were, because she only needed to beat two.
“She focused, and won her first two matches, putting her in the semifinals, and guaranteeing her a spot in the state finals in two weeks.”
Wendt lost her semifinal match to Sunni LaFond of Gaylord, who would go on to capture the state title, by a pin.
But she rebounded in the consolation bracket, notching a pair of pins, with the last one coming over Sharla Juhas of Ovid-Elsie to finish third.
“This is exciting,” Trim said. “It’s the first time the girls will wrestle with the boys at the MHSAA individual finals.”
She will take a 28-23 record into the finals, and will join three others Spartans – Andrew Quinn (285), Hunter Sanford (112) and Zane McCabe – at the state finals in two weeks at Ford Field.
