Manchester Wrestlers shine at state tournament

A crew of seven Dutch wrestling hopefuls headed to Ford Field on February 28 for state individual championships. Photo courtesy Steve Vlcek.

by William Gross

The Manchester wrestling team sent seven members to the individual State Tournament at Ford Field last weekend, where two members of the team brought home State Championships. Juniors Sammy Stewart and Blake Sloan were undefeated on their runs to individual state titles. Also placing in the State Tournament were seniors Nathan Fletcher (4th place) and Nathan Meyer (6th place).

Stewart (120 lbs.), who won the State Title as a freshman and lost in the final as a sophomore, faced off against a familiar foe in his final match. His opponent, Alex Rodriguez of St. Louis, was the defending State Champ at 113 lbs. and had faced Stewart in the Final two years ago. Stewart was able to control the match and come out with an 8–3 decision. Coach Steve Vlcek said of Stewart’s season and Finals performance, “He’s just got a high motor, he just keeps coming.” Stewart finished the year with a 53–1 record.

Blake Sloan (150 lbs.) finally broke through to claim a State Title after finishing as runner-up the last two years. Sloan overcame a tough draw in what Coach Vlcek described as “probably the best weight class top-to-bottom at the state meet.” Sloan, the team captain, finished his season with a 53–3 record.

Nathan Fletcher (215 lbs.) scored revenge against a long-time foe from Bronson who had defeated him earlier in the season on his way to a 4th-place finish. Coach Vlcek called it a “great win for him to go out on,” describing Sloan as “one of our team’s anchors.” Fletcher finished his season with a 52–4 record and his high school wrestling career as three-time state placer.

Nathan Meyer (144 lbs.) finished 6th at the state tournament after battling through mono late in the season. Vlcek felt it “says a lot about [Nathan’s] character” that he was able to bounce back and place at the state tournament. Meyer finished his senior season with a 46–10 record.

Also competing at the State Tournament were senior Dylan Gauss (285 lbs., 41–19 record), sophomore Easton Magnusson (157 lbs., 26–15 record), and freshman Vince Budd (150 lbs., 33–10 record).

A hearty congratulations to all the Manchester wrestlers on their outstanding seasons!

Sammy Stewart gets another victory to bring him up to first place in his class. Photo by Emma Woods.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.