Over 200 people joined at Nokomis Regional High School to celebrate the meet of several championship wrestlers. Teams from around the state have been working all season to get to this level. A single wrestler must take a ranking in regionals in order to move on to the State Championship held on March 29, 2008. Among the many athletes were best friends Dan Costantino and Zack Splude of Philip W. Sugg Middle School in Lisbon. Costantino took first place for his weight division – 141 pounds and Splude took second place for his weight division 147 pounds. PWS wrestlers practice every day for two hours. The actual championship took over 12 hours. Costantino notes that this ranking gave him “the greatest feeling in the world” and has been working at this state title for three years. Splude, a first year wrestler, thought the competition was “intense.”

Both athletes end in a note that they will definitely pursue high school wrestling. Personally, this Advocate reporter thinks that we can take the comebacks and fallbacks many athletes face as a metaphor to life. Athletes learn to cope with failure and regain focus, a trait many lack in life.