With the 2022-23 wrestling season coming to an end, many senior wrestlers have to say goodbye to the sport they have spent so many hours and years dedicated to. These seniors recently competed at the district level one final time, and are on their way to state Feb. 24.
At districts, Lewiston wrestlers came home with 14 state qualifiers. Those going to state are Joely Slyter, Kamryn Lockart, Cassidy Rehder, Lyrica Peterson-Wagenborg, Jack Brinkly, Hoyt Hvass, Jase Hendren, Gunnar Whitlock, Cole Lockart, Asa McClure, Brenden Thill, Benicio Avila and Rob Storm.
Senior wrestlers Storm, Drew Dammon, Gabe Ruth and Thill looked back on this season, happy with how it has gone.
For Storm, his favorite memory from this year was winning the Gut Check tournament. He brought home the Gut Check belt as the overall champion. Storm said he feels glad to end the year on a good note with no regrets.
Dammon added that he feels proud of “a lot of improvement this year personally and team-wise.” He said is going to miss the tournaments most, along with being with all his friends.
“I’m going to miss the team,” Ruth said.
“It’s finally hitting me as we get to the end of our season [. . .] how much I’ll truly miss this sport,” said Thill.
But Thill doesn’t plan to wrestle in college.
“The sport takes a lot out of you, and I’m ready to eat whatever I want after wrestling for the past seven years.”