MONTAGUE — Girls wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the state, and it had a showcase event Sunday at Montague High School, with all three county squads sending wrestlers a few miles south to compete.
The girls Mat Cat Classic has taken place at Montague for a few years, but it has rapidly grown from a handful of schools - almost none besides Montague from West Michigan - to the over 60 schools that had representatives there Sunday, including Oceana schools Hart, Shelby and Hesperia.
For those three, the event was a success. All three schools had at least one wrestler earn a spot on the podium.
The results were almost beside the point, though, as the girls, who rarely receive their own spotlight in wrestling, got to take center stage for a day.
“It creates a sense of pride knowing we are one of the biggest, if not the biggest, girls tournaments in the state right here in Montague,” Montague coach Kris Maddox said.
The tournament has been going on for a few years now, but Sunday marked its biggest event yet, as the Wildcats’ new gym hosted four mats and a packed crowd.
Hesperia’s Lacey Mey took the highest finish among team point-scorers. Mey finished fourth at 135 pounds. She won her first two matches, both by pin, to secure her finish.
Emma Miller earned Hart’s best finish, coming in fifth at 120. She went 4-1 on the day, scoring four pins. Elyssa Tanis (115 pounds) and Danielle Casillas (135) did not place, but each scored team points. Both posted 2-2 records; Tanis scored two pins, and Casillas won her first match in overtime before later adding a pin victory.
Olivia Casarez picked up a sixth-place finish for Shelby at 105, going 3-2 with a pair of wins by pin plus a decision. Grace Eckhert went 1-2 and scored a win by pin. April Luna, wrestling in the 125/130 B team class, advanced to the finals before taking second place, notching three pin victories.
