After a dominant season, junior Jared Lauber ended the year by competing at State Friday and Saturday in Champaign and coming within one win of earning a medal.
Lauber’s first match of the tournament came against a tough Mount Carmel opponent in the preliminary round.
“The first match was very exciting,” coach Matt Russell said. “He took the kid down with a couple of seconds left to win by one.”
Lauber was able to use his superior skills to take a 7-6 victory.
After winning in the preliminary, Lauber stumbled in the quarterfinal round.
“The quarterfinal match was very close as well,” Russell said. “It is the best we have seen Jared wrestle since the two-plus-week layoff due to injury.”
Although the loss put Lauber out of contention for the top two spots in the 152-pound division, he still had a chance to place when he entered the consolation bracket.
In the consolation preliminaries, where the winner would go on to wrestle for third or fourth place,
Lauber lost a 7-2 decision to a dominant Macomb wrestler to end his season.
“Jared’s goal was to qualify for state this year,” Russell said. “He reached and surpassed the goal, only coming up one win short of medaling.”
Although Lauber’s season has ended, he will return next year as one of the senior leaders and a pillar to the team.
“Next year should be a lot of fun for Jared,” Russell said. “I know he will put the work in between now and then.”
