Photo courtesy of Photoworks Pictured is the 2020-21 Marshall wrestling team.

MARSHALL — Last season, the Marshall wrestling team had a strong year and sent a school-record eight individuals to the Class AA individual tournament. This year, Marshall posted another solid campaign, with eight wrestlers competing at the individual tournament.

Multiple Marshall athletes earned top placements, led by Grant Louwagie, who placed second at 220 pounds. Dylan Louwagie and Tate Condezo both placed third at 132 and 138 pounds, respectively while Spencer Wambeke took sixth place. Drew Chandler, Tucker Fiene, Mitchell Bouwman and Keiton Walerius did not place in the state prelims.

Marshall coach Justin Bouwman said he was proud of how his team has continued to improve and represent their program at the state level after they placed second as a team in 2018-19 and was impressed with Grant’s finish to his senior season.

“It was a great year for those wrestlers [at state] and others were just on the fringe and they put together their best effort. It showed that we haven’t gone away and continue to build on what we did two years ago as a group,” coach Bouwman said. “Grant being able to pin his way to the final was impressive; he had lost to Riley O’Malley three times before and then beats him and pins the No. 2 seed. And even in the finals, he wrestled really well and had an opportunity to win it but just fell short.”

Marshall will graduate six seniors in Wambeke, Bouwman, Brett Regnier, Cole Felcyn, Grant Louwagie and Dawson Kesteloot. Coach Bouwman said the group of seniors have been able to build a strong bond with each other and their teammates and it will be difficult to replace them next season.

“Spencer, Mitchell, Brett, Cole, Grant and Dawson have been in it for a long time and they have a strong bond with each other and it’s always exciting and fun,” coach Bouwman said. “Our top of our lineup has been solid and they’ll be hard to replace. Their leadership makes the younger guys feel needed and wanted, and that will be hard to let go.”

Going into next year, coach Bouwman said their expectations will stay at a high level and they’ll have to rely on the younger wrestlers to fill in new roles.

“Our expectations are not going to change; we’re going to compete and take as many individuals to state as we can,” coach Bouwman said. “We’ll graduate a big senior class, so now the younger wrestlers have to step up and show us what they’ve got.”