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Gladstone's Bruce Wins Wrestling National Tourney
BATTLE CREEK---The Upper Peninsula is home to a wrestling national champion.
Gladstone High School 130-pounder Adam Bruce won four matches Sunday to win the championship at the National United Wrestling Association for Youth in downstate Battle Creek. Bruce also won this tournament in 2015 as an eighth grader. "It was tough," Bruce said of the four-matches-in-a-day grind. "I ended up beating the kid who took second, obviously, the kid who took third, the kid who took fourth and the kid who took seventh. There were a lot of tough matches and tough wrestling down there." 
Adam Bruce interview
And in the championship match, Bruce beat Anthony Trudo of Capac, Michigan, 5-0. "He was a smart wrestler," Bruce said of Trudo. "He knew what he was doing. He was really good at everything he did. I think I just out-techniqued him and used what I knew. I used a few new moves that I was taught by Chad Deno this week." Bruce did not allow a point against him in all four matches. In the championship match, he scored two points in the first period, one in the second, and two more in the third. "The first period was kind of scary because I almost got thrown onto my back in a little bit of a funky scramble," Bruce said. "But after that, I just picked it up and stayed with what I knew. I knew he was good at scrambling, so I had to get up with my hips."
More than 300 kids from 27 states competed in the event.
ESCANABA KIDS COMPETE---In the middle school girls division, Escanaba's Katelyn Beaver beat her two opponents Sunday (Erin Bohmont of downstate Bellville and Barbara Akers of downstate Clio) to also bring home a championship trophy. In the 13-14 year-old boys bracket, Escanaba's Hunter Larson finished third overall at 132 pounds. In the 11-12 boys bracket, Escanaba's Drew Allgeyer finished fifth overall at 90 pounds. And in the 11-U girls division, Escanaba's Morgan Allgeyer did not place.  |
