On the wrestling mat, all competitors are created equal. So long as you’re in the same weight class, nothing else matters, and never was that more on display than during Wisconsin’s state tournament.
Wisconsin’s Division 3 tourney produced a 106-pound state semifinal match between Stratford’s Macey Kilty and Bayfield-Washburn’s Zach Anglin. If you’re wondering why we’re talking about a Division 3 wrestling match in Wisconsin, consider Kilty is a female and Anglin has no hands or feet.
Kilty and Anglin reached the semis with a combined record of 58-5, and their match required an ultimate tiebreaker, with Kilty edging Anglin 5-4 in a match that lasted 8 minutes and 30 seconds.
Really, though, the Wisconsin wrestling faithful won, because this is the best prep sports has to offer — two seemingly unlikely foes squaring off because they earned their spot every step of the way.
Kilty ultimately lost a 9-6 decision to Clear Lake’s Ryan Anderson in the state championship match. Nevertheless, she joined Tomahawk High product Alyssa Lampe — now a Team USA wrestling star — to become just the second female grappler to reach a state title match in Wisconsin prep history.
The best part? Kilty is just a freshman and Anglin only a junior, so both will have a shot at the state title again in 2017. Of course, they’ll have to earn their way to the top — just like everyone else.