By BUTCH HARMON
For Portland junior Alex Young, the 2014 Division 2 individual state finals are a tournament that he will never forget.
Wrestling in the 135-pound weight class, Young reached the championship match before falling to Nate Limmex of Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
“Making it to the championship match was life changing,” Young said. “It was unreal. It was like a dream that I didn’t want to wake up from.”
Young qualified for the state meet last year but did not win any matches there. This year, he not only qualified, but he also won three matches in a row to make it to the semifinals, including a 3-1 semifinal win against Collin Dole of Swan Valley.
“Making it to the finals makes me want to push forward and keep working hard and see what I can do next year,” Young said.
Young was joined at the finals by teammates Paul Savage (112 pounds), Dominic Gardner (112), and Derek Gardner (145).
Young credits former Portland wrestlers for helping him improve. “A lot of Portland kids who graduated come back and work with us in the wrestling room,” he said. “They make us push ourselves, and I’ve improved a lot being able to work with them.”