The only other prep sporting event over the break featured two Glen Lake girls wrestlers competing at Montague Friday.
Glen Lake junior Emily Alaimo and freshman Peace Hawley-Joppich competed for the Lakers to end 2023.
Alaimo had an impressive day finishing 2-1, claiming second overall at the tournament.
Alaimo started the day as the No. 2 seed with familiar foes in her first two matches that led to wins.
Alaimo is 13-1 on the young season and is currently ranked eighth in her respective division.
“You record mine as well as zero and zero as soon as you step on the mat,” Alaimo said. “I think it opened my mind up. It was really hard getting that first loss, especially not losing at all the entire season. I think its good to get me in check, but I’ll be back and I’ll see her again.”
Alaimo breezed through the first two matches before facing a tough opponent in the third. Alaimo lost by a point in the competitive match that went all three periods.
“At least it was a good fight,” she said. “During this next month I am really working towards regionals. I have about three girls that I still need to see and wrestle to see where I’m at.”
Hawley-Joppich also had herself a day as she returned to the mat after recovering from a concussion earlier in the season.
After two back-to-back losses, Hawley-Joppich found her footing in the third match where she prevailed.
“It was pretty close. We both rolled each other. She rolled me into a Peterson, and I rolled her back,” she said. “I’m just (focusing) on getting better. I’m excited to wrestle.”
The opportunity of wrestling at Glen Lake has given over 20 boys and girls the opportunity to compete in another sport.
For Alaimo and Hawley-Joppich, the sport has given them the opportunity to compete at a high level along with the boys team.
“Wrestling is not any different (than other sports) ... It’s making us better. (The boys) have a really high level of respect for us,” Alaimo said.
Glen Lake wrestling is back on the mat in 2024 starting with a quad meet at Kingsley yesterday before competing in a Benzie tournament on Friday. The Lakers have several meets before its home invitational on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 5 p.m.
