By BUTCH HARMON
A takedown with fewer than 10 seconds remaining in the 160-pound championship match proved to be the difference for Farwell senior Tristen Zienkiewicz, who brought home the state title.
The takedown proved to be the deciding points, and Zienkiewicz defeated Jared Elliott of Birch Run 4-3 to win the title in the Division 3 individual finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
“I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, oh my God,’ ” Zienkiewicz said. “This was a dream come true. I just went out there and decided to go for it. I just decided to go for it at the end and whatever was there to take it.”
He used an inside trip to score the takedown to win the title.
Zienkiewicz finished sixth at last year’s state finals and trained all off-season to prepare for one final run at a championship.
“This is just awesome,” he said. “It has been a dream of mine to win state since I was six years old.”
Zienkiewicz finished the season with a 50-2 record and hopes to wrestle in college. “I want to wrestle Division I in college,” he said. “I don’t want to settle for anything less.”