HOLLAND, MI

West Ottawa has embarked on its inaugural girls wrestling season and wanted to sit down and chat with some of our competitors. Zeeland native Gabby Ramirez wrestled at the Myrmidon Attack Tournament this past weekend  (and won her very first match). Ramirez has proven herself to be a very driven athlete on and off the mat thus far, We wanted to know what drives her and if she had any advice for future wrestlers. 

What got you interested in wrestling?
I’ve always been weight lifting and I never really did any sports besides throwing shot put in track and field.

Do you have any experience prior to this season?
This is the first year I've done wrestling but I practice at Myrmidon to get me ready for the season.

What is is like being a part of history at West Ottawa?
It feels pretty cool to be apart of something that shows that girls are as strong as boys are.

What are some hurdles you have had to face?
The feeling that i’m not strong enough when I wrestle but thing is that it doesn’t really matter if you’re strong enough. What matters is how quick of a thinker you are when you’re on the mat. A quote from my favorite wrestler (Helen Maroulis) that keeps me going is “I am enough.” 

Do you have any advice for girls that want to wrestle?
Just go for it, being a female wrestler is a hard to do when many people are against it, but I swear it is the most self-powering thing i’ve ever done in my life.  

Who is your wrestling hero?
Helen Maroulis is my all time wrestling hero. I watch her interviews and her matches all the time and each video I watch it makes me want to be a better wrestler than I was the day before. She makes me want to train harder and be the strongest I can be when I wrestle.  

HOLLAND, MI

Wrestlers from all over the state gathered at West Ottawa High School on October 22nd to take part in the 4th Annual Myrmidon Attack Tournament. The Panthers had a great showing, with multiple placers. While it was a fundraiser for both West Ottawa and Myrmidon programs, a portion also went to Pinning Down Autism, a charitable organization whose mission is to respond and address the immediate needs of children and their families within our local communities that are affected by autism and to promote education and awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder’s.

This year, we also donated to another important organization in the wrestling: Pin Cancer. Pin Cancer is a registered 501(c)3 charity. All their proceeds go to building awareness on all types of cancer as well as research initiatives at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Having both programs both effected recently by cancer, Coach Lancaster thought it would be fitting to give back,

The Attack Tournament is unique, as it is the only one of its type. The Attack Bandz are utilized to keep score instead of traditional takedowns and escapes. The Attack Bandz themselves are a removable strap for wrapping around and securing to a wrestler's ankle. "Think like flag football, but for wrestling, " Coach Ryan Lancaster describes to new wrestlers."It's also a great learning tool," he went on to say, "that makes wrestling accessible to everyone, even kids that have never competed before."

How Do You Win?

• Wrestlers will be paired into age groups and blocked weight classes. 
• Pull the band off your opponent’s foot to score one point. 
• One three minute period. 
• The Attack Bandz are also a training system designed for all athletes of various skill sets. 
• Beginners, novices or even the most skilled wrestlers can benefit from Attack Bandz. 

$77.00 was donated to Pinning Down Autism. Myrmidon and West Ottawa have raised $852.00 for charity since 2016.
​$77.00 was donated to Pin Cancer.
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• Want to know more about Pinning Down Autism? Click HERE
• Want to know more about Pin Cancer? Click HERE
• Want to know more about Attack Bandz? Click HERE
• Want to know more about Myrmidon Training Systems? Click HERE

KIDS DIVISION
50 
1st Brycen Soto
2nd Markko Foster
3rd Aiden Cruz

52-60
1st Julez Soto
2nd Chase Shults
3rd Gaven Cruz
4th Raenen Cantu
62
1st James Foster
2nd Caleb Bannister
​3rd Braylon Cates

85+
1st Jalen Cantu
2nd Durai Naik

YOUTH DIVISION
90
1st Owen Foster
2nd Mathew Hakken
3rd Quincy Moyo
4th Noah Quick

125-130
1st Michael Weed
2nd Hunter Jurries

152-156
1st Julian Jimenez
2nd Logan Hornshaw
3rd Michael Gibson
4th Gabriella Ramirez

160-180 
1st Trent Rector
2nd Noah Williamson
3rd Aiden Taylor

189+
1st Jason Rector
2nd Margarito Sanchez
3rd Julio Del Real

ABSOLUTE DIVISION 
Absolute Light 
1st Owen Foster
2nd Hunter Jurries
3rd Quincy Moyo
4th Michael Weed
5th Mathew Hakken
6th Noah Quick

Absolute Heavy
1st Jason Rector
2nd Julian Jimenez
3rd Trent Rector
4th Noah Williamson
5th Gabriella Ramirez
6th Margarito Sanchez
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HOLLAND, MI
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In wrestling, you need to walk a fine line between following what works best for others and separating yourself from the pack. Junior Julian Jimenez has done a remarkable job this summer, seeking out the best camps, clinics, and events across the country. We chatted with Jimenez on his jam packed schedule, (from Fargo, ND to York, PA) water polo, and overcoming his mental blocks.

How did you prepare for this season?
To prepare I did a lot of 1 on 1 work with Keenan, and I also went to various tournaments, and wrestled with some of the best wrestlers in Michigan at the national team practices. 

What were Cadet Duals like?
The Cadet Duals were a lot of fun. It gave me a chance to see many different styles of wrestling and a lot of techniques. It was fun to be on a team as well.

Why did you decide on Fargo?
I decided to go to Fargo because why not really. I qualified so why not get more mat time, travel to a new place, and experience one of if not the biggest tournament in the country. I knew it would be a great experience and it was.

What are some of the hurdles you have to face?
A major hurdle I have to face is my mentality. Sometimes I'm not the most confident that I can beat someone. I feel like it really holds me back from my true potential as a wrestler and when I do overcome that hurdle I'll be turning heads.

How has water polo helped you prepare in the fall?
Water polo had helped a lot to get me in shape. We constantly move at practice so there really is no rest. You could almost say the same goes for wrestling because you always need to move to get the advantage. Also polo helps strengthen my legs something else very important in wrestling.

Who is your wrestling hero?
My wrestling hero is Keenan Montoya. Not only has he been helping me all summer to improve and get ready for all the tournaments I went to and for the regular season, but he also has the mentality I strive to have. Keenan is a really nice guy off the mat but on the mat he is brutal and he doesn't care who he is wrestling. I think I have already learned so much from him and he has a lot more knowledge for me.

HOLLAND, MI

Some wrestlers are born for success, relying on their natural talents. Others are molded and shaped in the flames of dedication and desire to be a champion. West Ottawa Freshman Mathew "Mad Dog" Hakken is the latter. we sat down with Hakken to discuss his upcoming season, and his arduous trek to becoming a dominating wrestler. 

How did you prepare for the season? 
The ways I prepared for this season are that I trained at Myrmidon during the off-season. I would work on everything from take downs, to break downs, pins. We concentrated on cardio to build my stamina for the season. a I also picked up new moves at different camps that I attended throughout the summer. 

What was being on a travel team like?
It was fun because I got to wrestle people from different areas that I would normally not get to wrestle. I wrestled some tough competitors from other areas. I became a better wrestler by wrestling people who were better than I am. I enjoyed getting to know my teammates better. 

Why did you decide on Myrmidon?
We decided on Myrmidon because while working with little  Coach Lancaster gave us information for Myrmidon. I started going there 3 1/2 years ago, and continued to go every week, all year round. I have been able to work with some amazing coaches, Coach Dan Kobo, Coach Ryan Lancaster, Coach Jeff Anderson, and Coach Jared Lancaster. These guys have taught me so much, and made me a much better wrestler. 

What are some of the hurtles you have to face? 
One of the major hurtles that I have is my size. I have a hard time finding people to practice with, which makes it difficult to work all the moves that we go over at Myrmidon. However, practicing with bigger guys has made me stronger, and tougher. By practicing with bigger guys, it makes it much easier to hit my moves on an opponent my size. 

What is it like being in marching band and being a wrestler?
Its kind of hard because I have to get home right away to do my homework before practice. There is hardly a day that I am not busy. I also have to juggle my time between practices, which means I have to sometimes miss out on wrestling to participate in band practices.
Wrestling has helped me with band because it has made me stronger physically, as well as being able to keep up my stamina. 

Who is your wrestling hero? 
I look up to Coach Jared. I have worked with Jared first as a teammate, and then as my coach. He has worked really hard with me to improve my skills and make me the wrestler I am today. I look up to him, because he has had ups and downs in his high school career. He had set goals for himself, and shown me that some times you have to reach for your goals, and if you don't accomplish them, it's okay. You just keep moving forward and get better every time you step on the mat. He has encouraged me, and shown that he believes in me, not only as my coach but my teammate as well.  

HOLLAND, MI
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Part of being a wrestler for any program is to buy into the system set in place. Our "pantherstyle" mantra preaches to our wrestlers to work hard and let the world be your teacher. One Panther that is leading the charge is 7th grader Owen Foster. Owen has been wrestling a few years, coming up through the Little Panthers program and has risen to compete on the national stage with several travel teams. We sat down with Foster to discuss his cross training regiment, his time training with Olympians, and his over commitment to excellence. 

How did you prepare for this season?
To prepare for this season as well as last season, I would go to off season practices like the West Ottawa fall camp, Myrmidon practices, and participate in other sports. I also did strength and conditioning during the summer to help myself get stronger. 

What was the Olympic Training Center like?
The Olympic Training Center was a great experience for me. It was really cool to be able to practice with Olympic wrestlers and hopefuls such as Andy Bisek, Austin Morrow, Corey Fitzgerald, and Dalton Roberts.The Olympic warm-up actually seemed a lot like the warm-ups we do at West Ottawa and Myrmidon. One thing I learned from the wrestlers there, is to always do a hard warm-up before you wrestle in order to get your body ready for your match. Both Andy Bisek and Austin Morrow told my brother and I a similar message that I have heard many times before, of always keep working and you will succeed, and do not ever give up on your goals as a wrestler. This message is something that I will definitely take away from this opportunity.   

Why did you decide on the Grand River Rumble?
I decided to do the Grand River Rumble in order to get some national competition as well as wrestling some extremely good wrestlers. Wrestling good wrestlers only makes me better and lets me gain experience. While I did get beat pretty bad in some matches, afterwards I knew that doing this only makes me a better wrestler. 

What are some of the challenges you have to face?
Some hurdles I have had to face are things such as balancing schoolwork and wrestling. When I am getting ready for regional or state, I have little time to do homework. On some days I may have about 45 minutes to do 6 classes of homework, so I must use my time wisely. Another hurdle is watching what I eat. At school there can be some food that is not good to eat during wrestling season. I have to really keep my mind off food like pizza, extras like chips, ice cream, and sugary drinks. 

How has Cross Country helped you prepare in the fall?
Cross country for me is a good form of cross training for wrestling. It keeps me healthy and builds my stamina. Running helps strengthen my legs which are key in wrestling. It also builds up my core which helps with stamina. 

Who is your wrestling hero?
My wrestling hero is Cael Sanderson. He has been since I was little. I actually met him and got his autograph at a Penn State - Michigan wrestling dual. That was really awesome. What he did was amazing with winning four high school state titles, an undefeated college career, and an Olympic gold medalist. He is someone I look up to when I do wrestling.