WHITEHALL — The Whitehall Vikings lead the area by sending four wrestlers to next weekend’s MHSAA Individual State wrestling tournament.

One reason for that is the keen senior leadership provided by seniors Chris Bobryk and D’Mario Lewis.

The pair finished second at last weekend’s individual regional event, Bobryk taking runner-up honors at 135 pounds, while Lewis did so at 171 pounds.

For Bobryk, this year’s tournament could best be viewed as a last chance effort. After qualifying for the state tourney his freshman year, Bobryk failed to do so the next year. Last year, he made it back again, but did not place.

This year, Bobryk (47-8) wants to finish on the medal stand.

“Sure, I want to place as high as I can,” said Bobryk, in his characteristic diffident voice. “I try not to look at the brackets (before meets) or worry about who I’ll be facing next. I like to take it one at a time.”

What at first appears to be shyness, however, soon becomes enthusiasm about an activity Bobryk likes even more than grappling.

“I love kiteboarding,” he offers. Kiteboarding is a little like surfing, except the rider is strapped to a harness attached to a big kite. Riders float on, and above, the surface of the water, while controlling his or her direction using cords. Bobryk does it both as a recreational activity as well as a way to earn money, typically by providing instruction through the Mackinaw Kite Company. He can hardly contain himself while describing his upcoming Spring Break trip to Cape Hatteras, NC, located in the famed Outer Bank. “That is where it’s at,” he said.

But, to illustrate his toughness, Bobryk is just as happy to do it all year long right here in Michigan.

“It doesn’t matter to me, really.”

There are also some similarities between wrestling and kiteboarding.

“They both take up a lot of energy,” he said, smiling.

But, before he enjoys his much-deserved Spring Break trip, Bobryk has business to finish. He was too green to enjoy his first trip to the competition, and too sick to enjoy it last year. Despite the illness, Bobryk lost a state-meet match last year by just two points.

One thing to note: After wrestling at 130 pounds, Bobryk moved up to his more natural weight of 135 pounds for the post season. “Making weight is tough,” he explained. “It is tough to cut even a few pounds.”

For Viking head coach Cliff Sandee, Bobryk is the quintessential, albeit quiet, leader of the team.

“Nobody deserves it more than Chris,” said Sandee. “Whatever the guy gets will be because of hard work.”

Even though he can be quiet, Sandee said Bobryk does everyone better by leading by example. When younger wrestlers have having trouble understanding a move or a concept, Sandee often just points in Bobryk’s direction, telling them, ‘Do what he does.’

“Chris is the ideal role model for this team, for this school,” said Sandee. “All his teachers, everyone who comes in contact with him has nothing but nice things to say about him.”

Then Sandee heaps on the ultimate praise.

“It’s bittersweet for me, because we’re really going to miss him once he’s gone,” the coach said. “But if our kids can have half of his dedication and work ethic, well then, I think we’d be all right. He really does set the standard.”

Bobryk hopes to attend Muskegon Community College in the fall, perhaps pursuing a career in criminal justice.

Oh, and he says he’ll continue to give kiteboarding lessons.

Big Surprise

Sometimes you just have to wait your turn. Other times, you have to seize the moment.

Whitehall senior wrestler D’Mario Lewis has done both, and much prefers the latter.

“I was ready,” said Lewis, of his recent district and regional surprises, where he finished third at the former, and second at the later. “I am ready.”

Which is a surprise in itself, considering Lewis had never made it out of the individual district tournament until this year.

That’s not typically how it happens.

Lewis started wrestling in seventh grade, after a group of friends decided they were going to join the middle school squad.

“Some friends were talking about going out, and I decided to too,” Lewis said. While he also participates in football and track, Lewis soon learned wrestling was quite possibly his best sport. Now he knows for sure that it is. “I’d never made it out of districts before, so I wasn’t sure what would happen this year. I was pretty happy to make it out (of districts), and very surprised I made it past regionals. I feel like everything’s starting to come together for me.”

For Coach Sandee, Lewis could surprise the state as well.

“I really believe D’Mario is one of the state’s best kept secrets,” he said. “If he does as well as I think he can, this is really going to be his chance to shine.”

Lewis — unfortunately or fortunately, depending how you look at it — had a full load of stallions in front of him at Whitehall his first three years. In fact, the reason Lewis didn’t make it past the district level last year was because he knocked out of the tournament by his own teammate, Wayne Champion, who finished seventh in the state last year at 171 pounds. “He’s been behind a lot of talented guys, so now it’s his turn to make a run,” Sandee explained. “He really could be one of those guys who catches everyone by surprise” at the state meet.

For Lewis, making an impact at the state level, something perhaps inconceivable even last season, is now within reach. “This is something that I’m fighting for, something I’m willing to work hard for.”

A National Honor Society member, Lewis plans on attending Grand Valley State University in the fall to study computer science. But first, he’s got something to prove.

“My family will be at state,” he said, “so I’ll be there wrestling my heart out.”

Montague sophomore doing what comes naturally

WHITEHALL — At the start of the wrestling season, Montague sophomore Chen Martinez had one goal in mind: “Get to state!”

Now, after a bit of revision, Martinez has a new goal. “Now I want to place.”

The young heavyweight, who lit up plenty of opponents this fall on Montague’s two-time state title team (he was a defensive tackle, of course), is now getting a chance to light up the 285-bracket as well, scoring district and regional titles the past two weekends. For Martinez, pulling off such a feat, at such a young age, may have as much to do with the wrestling mat as it does with the gridiron.

“Strength wise, football has really helped me improve as a wrestler,” Martinez explained. Unfortunately, the deep playoff run put in by the football team meant he got a late start to the wrestling season, causing him to miss the season’s first all-day invitational. A shot-putter on the track team as well, Martinez believes giving everything he has toward each sport has taught him to work hard, even if the chips are down. “That’s why I do the extra laps, all the hard work: To have it when I need it,” he said.

Montague head coach Jay Mulder sees a huge improvement in Martinez, in terms of mental toughness, from his freshman to sophomore years.

“He’s not only stronger physically,” said Mulder, “but he’s tougher mentally, which gives him an edge. He does a lot of things this year, on and off the mat, that he wasn’t able to do last season. There’s been incredible progress.”

Martinez would be remise if he didn’t bring up his main training partner, junior Manny Villeda, who wrestles for the Wildcats at 215 pounds.

“I know practicing with Manny has helped me this season,” he said. Villeda is heading to the state tourney as well, after placing third at the regional meet. “It’s great having a couple of guys like Chen and Manny, to help get the word out about our program,” said Mulder. “They are helping to raise the expectations of the entire program.

Want proof? This season, the Wildcats made it to the team regional level for the first time in 15 years.

‘We’ve always had a strong tradition at the heavy weight (division),” said Mulder. “Chen is taking that helping to pass that on to the next group of wrestlers.”

But, as a sophomore, Martinez isn’t ready to take a seat in the old rocking chair just yet.