Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation grant supports MFL Youth Wrestling ...

The MFL/MarMac Youth Wrestling Club received $4,810 in grant funding awarded by the Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation (UMGC) to complement additional direct fundraising by the club to make up the balance of the $6,610 total cost of purchasing a set of two digital score clocks (seen in photo above) for use at their events. “The TrackWrestling score clocks are a game changer for our organization’s events,” said Steve Hanson, who volunteers with management of the club. “We cannot thank the UMGC enough for their support.”

The Wrestling Club hosted two tournaments this year in Monona, and the wrestlers also competed in  other tournaments in Iowa and Wisconsin. As a culmination to the first year with little impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, the club had 13 wrestlers compete at State level events, with three finishing on the podium in those events. Blake Roe was the Iowa AAU Kids’ State runner-up in the B215 division, Breklyn Schutte finished fourth in the Iowa AAU Girls’ State A65 division, and Bodyn Hansel came home with a seventh-place medal in the Iowa Super Pee Wee State first grade 80 lbs. division.

“We have had a lot of great volunteers put hours in to build this wrestling family to what it is today,” Hanson said. “I have no doubt that we will continue to prepare wrestlers to step up to Middle School and High School competition, and we will continue to compete with the best programs in the state.” Submitted photos.