FLINT - The Michigan high school wrestling season has officially begun as we take a look at local competitors to watch in the Flint area.
Below is a list of 15 highlighted wrestlers and other wrestlers to watch listed at the bottom. Stats are courtesy of www.trackwrestling.com.
This feels like the season where Linden could put it all together and make a run, and Sage is one of the main reasons why.
A breakout freshman last season, Sage, who wrestled at 106, tallied a 53-3 record and was crowned both a district and regional champion to qualify for the MHSAA state finals. Sage finished seventh at states to earn all-state honors.
The returning Flint Metro League champion has already stormed out of the gate this season, winning the Genesee County Championship at 113 on Dec. 13. He was also county champion last season at 106.
The heart and soul of LakeVille Memorial wrestling, Hammond returns as the defending MHSAA Division 4 state champion in the 165-pound bracket.
Hammond, a senior, collected a 54-1 record last season, winning both a district and regional title. He was crowned the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference champion at 175."
Hammond is currently 10-0 this season and won the Genesee County Championship at 175 on Dec. 13. He also won the county title in the 175-pound bracket last season.
Last season didn't end on the terms Quintanilla was hoping for, but he's shaping up to have an impressive senior season for Mt. Morris.
Coming off a 48-5 record and winning the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference title at 138, Quintanilla has stormed out of the gate with an 8-1 record so far.
He recently captured the Genesee County Championship at 132 on Dec. 13. He finished third at counties as a junior.
Another standout freshman hoping to carry over the momentum into his sophomore season, Presnull held a 27-11 record and won a district title at 106 last year.
Presnull returns as the defending Saginaw Valley League champion at 106 and has already jumped out to a 6-2 record, including a pair of second place finishes at the Herm Wilkinson Classic and Genesee County Championships.
As physical as he is on the gridiron, Savage keeps that same mentality on the mat for the Cardinals.
Savage is coming off a 30-12 record as a junior where he won a district title at 190 and qualified for the MHSAA Division 1 state finals.
The senior has already gotten off to a strong start this season, winning the Genesee County Championship in the 285-pound bracket on Dec. 13.
One of the more dynamic athletes in the Flint area, Erlenbeck returns to the mat after winning a district title at 165 and qualifying for the MHSAA Division 2 state finals.
Erlenbeck compiled a 45-4 record last season and was both the Genesee County and Flint Metro League champion as a junior. He finished fourth at states and earned all-state honors.
Now in his final season, Erlenbeck has already registered an unbeaten start with nine wins, including at the Genesee County Championships in the 165-pound bracket.
Building off the momentum of a stellar junior season, Golec is looking to end his high school career on a high note.
The senior returns as a district champion, regional runner-up and all-state honoree (third place) at the MHSAA Division 2 state finals last season.
A Genesee County champion at 190 last season, Golec won the county meet at 215 and is currently 8-0 on the season.
A returning all-state honoree (eight place) at the MHSAA Division 3 state finals, Szwed is looking to build off of his 53-8 season as a junior.
Szwed is a returning district champion and has already collected a 9-1 record so far, including a runner-up finish in the 150-pound bracket at the Genesee County Championships meet on Dec. 13.
Holding a 44-8 record and qualifying for the MHSAA Division 2 state meet last season, Golembiewski's freshman season was more than Fenton ever could've asked for.
Now, he's hoping to only improve as a sophomore and as the returning Flint Metro League runner-up in the 106-pound bracket.
Golembiewski is currently 12-0 this season and has wrestled at 113 for the Tigers.
A returning MHSAA Division 4 state qualifier, Campbell tallied a 46-12 record last season and finished third in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference at 144.
Campbell, a junior, currently holds a 12-0 record this season with matches at 175 and 190.
A returning Flint Metro League champion in the 150-pound bracket, Ingram tallied a 50-8 record last season as a junior.
Ingram qualified for regionals and is hoping his final season ends in the state finals spotlight. He currently holds a 4-0 record this season.
Coming off a 23-9 season as a junior, Milton has already stormed out of the gate with a 5-0 record this season.
The senior already has 20 takedowns and 60 points to her stat total and took first at the Swan Valley Girls Invitational in the 130-pound bracket.
A returning district champion, Gilbert tallied a 24-8 record last season and won the Ovid-Elsie Girls Tournament.
Gilbert, a junior, is currently 7-1 this season and most recently won the Yale Girls Invitational in the 140-pound bracket.
Hoyt put together quite the sophomore season with her 20-8 record last year, and she's already picking up right where she left off.
The returning district and regional champion is currently 5-0 on the season and has won both the Herm Wilkinson Classic and the Grayling Individual Girls Tournament in the 235-pound bracket.
A returning state qualifier and regional champion, Bowman had a breakout freshman campaign last season where she held an 18-8 record.
Bowman started off this season with a first-place finish at the Swan Valley Girls Invitational in the 110-pound bracket, earning three pins. She followed it up with second place at the Yale Girls Invitational.