By BUTCH HARMON
Although the Laingsburg wrestling program is only four years old, it now has a state champion it can be proud of.
Lainsgburg sophomore Kevin Koenig became the first state champion in school history when he won the 215-pound title in Division 3. Koening turned in a dominating performance as he defeated Patrick Harbin, Jr. of Detroit Loyola 14-3.
“I knew I had him after the first takedown,” Koenig said. “He couldn’t stop it. I wanted to go for a pin, but he kept stalling on the bottom.”
Winning by a pin was important to Koening, who lost in the final round of last year’s state tournament.
“I would have liked to have pinned him, but it felt pretty good beating him by a bunch of points.”
With the win, Koenig finished the season with a 48-3 record.
After losing in the final by technical fall last year, Koenig was on a mission this season, and he didn’t let up until he captured the first MHSAA title in school history.
“I wanted to be the first state champion in school history,” Koenig said. “Ever since the eighth grade, I have been working for this.”
Koening believes that winning a state title will help the Laingsburg wrestling program continue to grow. “We’ve only had a wrestling team for four years,” he said. “I feel that by winning a state title, it will help get a bunch more kids to come out and see what wrestling is all about.”