It’s been quite a season for the Lakeview wrestling team and Terry Grieser, who is currently 28-2 this season and has over 100 wins in his career.
“During this season, he has achieved his 100th career win, undefeated status at the Farwell Team Invite and Mount Pleasant Invite,” said coach Todd Barton. “ He also won the title at his home tournament for the second consecutive year, defeating Spencer Knizacky of Mason County Central in the finals, who had beaten him earlier in the year.”
Grieser also tops Lakeview with 74 takedowns and 14 pins.
“Terry prides himself on being relentless on the mat. He has very good conditioning and wrestles every match with the attitude that no one can beat him. His relentless nature helps him to be dominating on his feet,” Barton said. “Just as any good wrestler, Grieser has a goal to finish on top of the podium at the [Palace of Auburn Hills] this year. If he didn’t have that goal, he would be selling himself short.”
Wrestlers like Grieser have helped to make Barton’s coaching season enjoyable.
“This is my second year as head coach here at Lakeview, and Terry has been my go-to guy since day one,” Barton said. “He was one of two upper classmen my first year. He naturally fulfilled a leadership role and believed in how I was coaching, though it was different from his past coaches.
“My first year as head coach at Lakeview, we had very few kids with any prior experience, which made for a tough season, because I had no idea where to start. I knew I had to try to develop the kids new to the sport and help take the others to the next level, but had no idea how to do it.”
Lakeview was 6-25 last season and had one state qualifier, Grieser.
Zack King and Richie Ostrander have been producing valuable points for the Chippewa Hills wrestling team.
Ostrander, at 103 pounds, is 11-4 and has had his season shortened by illness. But head coach Nate Ethridge still expects Ostrander to come back and do some things during the postseason.
Zach King pinned Abe Angious of Reed City at 119 pounds in Central State Activities Association action Jan. 22, improving his record to 31-2 this season. “He attacks in all his positions,” said Ethridge. “He’s come a long way. He’s a complete wrestler.”
Both wrestlers are seniors. At 103 pounds, Ostrander was 0-2 in the state finals last season and went 51-8. At 112 pounds, King placed seventh in the Division 3 state finals last season and ended up with a 52-7 record.