By Bruce Rolfe
It was a bitter-sweet day for Climax-Scotts High School senior Max Bleeker at the Division 4 Individual Regionals at Mendon last Saturday.
The C-S senior was hoping to qualify for the Division 4 Individual State Finals at Ford Field March 1 and 2 his senior year, but he fell short of a top four finish.
Despite missing out on the opportunity, Bleeker did enjoy one positive moment at the individual regionals when he reached the 100 career win milestone by pinning Homer’s Hunter DePew in 2:19 in his second match of the day.
Reaching 100 career wins is pretty impressive considering Max and his teammates missed out on 30-35 matches in 2021 during the covid pandemic. He finished that year 12-13.
“It was a big accomplishment. Starting in eighth grade and working to get better every year. It’s (100 career wins) huge,” said Bleeker, who needed to win his third match at the individual regionals to advance to the State Finals but lost a 2-1 decision.
Bleeker’s mother said Max was encouraged by wrestling assistant coach Larry Tutt to go out for wrestling when he was younger and the C-S senior said he’s glad he did.
“It’s been so great. All of the coaches who first convinced me to start wrestling in the eighth grade. Led me and taught me from a young one how to wrestle. It’s been great here,” said Bleeker.
The C-S senior admits he was disappointed he didn’t qualify for the individual state finals and an opportunity to join his brother and five other teammates at Ford Field, but he will still be there to support them.
“It will be good to go watch my brother and all of my friends at the States (individual finals) in a couple of weeks,” said Bleeker.
Max will still have the opportunity to wrestle with his brother and his Climax-Scotts-Martin teammates in the Division 4 Team State Finals at Wings Stadium February 23 and 24 when C-S-M wrestles St. Louis in the quarterfinals February 23 at noon. Bleeker, wrestling at 285 pounds, will take a 40-18 record this year into the Team State Finals.
It was a bitter-sweet day for Climax-Scotts High School senior Max Bleeker at the Division 4 Individual Regionals at Mendon last Saturday.
The C-S senior was hoping to qualify for the Division 4 Individual State Finals at Ford Field March 1 and 2 his senior year, but he fell short of a top four finish.
Despite missing out on the opportunity, Bleeker did enjoy one positive moment at the individual regionals when he reached the 100 career win milestone by pinning Homer’s Hunter DePew in 2:19 in his second match of the day.
Reaching 100 career wins is pretty impressive considering Max and his teammates missed out on 30-35 matches in 2021 during the covid pandemic. He finished that year 12-13.
“It was a big accomplishment. Starting in eighth grade and working to get better every year. It’s (100 career wins) huge,” said Bleeker, who needed to win his third match at the individual regionals to advance to the State Finals but lost a 2-1 decision.
Bleeker’s mother said Max was encouraged by wrestling assistant coach Larry Tutt to go out for wrestling when he was younger and the C-S senior said he’s glad he did.
“It’s been so great. All of the coaches who first convinced me to start wrestling in the eighth grade. Led me and taught me from a young one how to wrestle. It’s been great here,” said Bleeker.
The C-S senior admits he was disappointed he didn’t qualify for the individual state finals and an opportunity to join his brother and five other teammates at Ford Field, but he will still be there to support them.
“It will be good to go watch my brother and all of my friends at the States (individual finals) in a couple of weeks,” said Bleeker.
Max will still have the opportunity to wrestle with his brother and his Climax-Scotts-Martin teammates in the Division 4 Team State Finals at Wings Stadium February 23 and 24 when C-S-M wrestles St. Louis in the quarterfinals February 23 at noon. Bleeker, wrestling at 285 pounds, will take a 40-18 record this year into the Team State Finals.
