Grayslake Youth Wrestling Club Pins Way Into New Year

Two dozen Grayslake youth wrestlers braved the early morning hours Saturday to attend a New Year's Eve Day tournament at Prairie Ridge High School.

The Grayslake Youth Wrestling Club is in its second season serving Grayslake and surrounding communities. The roster stands at 53 kids, with the majority new to wrestling. The youngest wrestler is 4 years old and the oldest is 13. The club feeds both Central and North high schools, but has no residential boundaries.

The Grayslake Youth Wrestling Club is a member of the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation and competes with surrounding clubs November through early March. More information can be found at the club’s website grayslakeyouthwrestling.org or by “liking” its GYWC Facebook page.

Led by powerful bantam weight Maurice Edwards, the Grayslake Youth Wrestling Club wrestlers competed well against strong competition on New Year's Eve. 

Edwards pinned his first opponent in spectacular fashion and outlasted his Barrington competition in the championship match 3-1. Edwards has managed to top each of his competitors this season and remains unbeaten in regulation matches. His on-mat athleticism mirrors that of his on-field accomplishments as a running back for the Grayslake Colts, where he helped his team reach the Super Bowl this year.

Grayslake also had big wins and second-place finishers in Dylan Burnett, Aiden Loebman, Marcus Gawerecki, Ethan Lester, Ethan Torres, Ben Bauman, Austin Walkington, Austin Connelly and Stephen Simpson. 

Walkington overcame a four-point deficit in his second match to record his second pin of the day. Simpson used his athleticism to record a technical fall in his first match and pin his second opponent. 

Grayslake will travel to Waukegan's “Rumble in the Dawg Pound” next Sunday. The next weekend, several wrestlers will travel to Springfield for the IKWF's “Kid's Open.”  

Tournaments and other activities will continue through February when the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation State Series begins.

- Submitted by Chad Connelly.