MIHS wrestlers sweating in the summer to gear up for winter action

August 26, 2022 10:30 am
From left to right: Mercer Island High School’s Lincoln Woods and Gordon Gibson at the US National High School Wrestling Championships in Fargo, North Dakota; and Max Martin, Chase Warnick, coach Bo Nickal, Gibson, Jordan Benitez and Woods at Nickal’s clinic. Courtesy photos
From left to right: Mercer Island High School’s Lincoln Woods and Gordon Gibson at the US National High School Wrestling Championships in Fargo, North Dakota; and Max Martin, Chase Warnick, coach Bo Nickal, Gibson, Jordan Benitez and Woods at Nickal’s clinic. Courtesy photos

Special to the Reporter

The 2022-23 Mercer Island High School (MIHS) wrestling season may still be several months away, but the varsity grapplers are sweating in the summer and looking to win in the winter.

Incoming sophomores Lincoln Woods and Gordon Gibson earned invites onto the Washington National Team and qualified and competed at the US National High School Wrestling Championships in Fargo, North Dakota, in July. Summer training has also led MIHS wrestlers to attend several intensive and college showcase camps in and out of the state.

This year’s MIHS wrestling team will be filled with experience, including former and current state champions in all three wrestling disciplines, KingCo champs and regional placers. With the graduation of only one varsity wrestler, MIHS head coach Lee Jahncke says expectations are running high.

“I can’t wait to see the progress the wrestlers have made competing and training over the summer. I think we will have a really strong team this year and I’m anxiously awaiting the beginning of the wrestling season,” he said.

In addition to a solid team of returning athletes, Jahncke points out that the MIHS wrestling program also stands to benefit from a freshman class that includes members of the Islander Middle School (IMS) team that won the Triangle League Tournament last season.

“I’m also looking forward to all the new wrestlers we have coming up to join us from IMS,” he said.

A number of those wrestlers have also been training throughout the summer under Ryan Hoisington, IMS wrestling coach and owner of Modern Martial Arts and Fitness (formerly MIFIT).