Ben Murphy
Contributing Writer
(Photos Provided – Left: Eaton Rapids’ Symiah Stone with her hand raised after taking seventh place at the state finals. Right: Eaton Rapids’ Sydney Thompson has her hand raised after taking third place at the state finals.)
The Eaton Rapids wrestling team had two girls wrestling in the individual state championship meet at Ford Field on March 3 and 4. Sydney Thompson was competing in the 115-weight class and finished in third and Symiah Stone was taking part in the 120 weight class and finished in seventh place.
“Sydney was last year’s state champ, but ended up placing third this year,” head coach Devin Milheim said. “Still a great season, but not the goal she set for herself. Symiah is a freshman and placed seventh this year, which is a great accomplishment for any wrestler, let alone a freshman.”
Thompson was able to open the tournament with a second period pin over Abigail Kurtz of Comstock Park. In the quarterfinals she lost on a first period pin to Morgan Irwin of Westland John Glenn. She battled her way through the consolation rounds, topping Hailey Wisler of New Boston Huron in a 13-6 decision and then she was given a medical forfeit over Isabella Crompton of Frankfort. In the consolation semi-finals she picked up a 12-4 major decision win over Shai Curtiss of Shepherd. In her third-place match, she was taking on Zionah Gardner of Homer and she was able to get an 8-0 major decision win.
Stone had a win in her first bout as well. She topped London Rabb of Kalmazoo Central on a first period pin. In the quarterfinals she suffered a loss on a first period pin to Isabella Cepak of South Lyon East. She started the consolation rounds with an 8-6 decision win over Azaylin Lindsey-Allen of Kalamazoo Central, but she lost her next bout by getting pinned in the first period to Lindsey Gibson of Chippewa Hills. She ended her run with a win in the seventh-place match, getting a quick first period pin over Taylor Woollett of Watervliet.
