Freshman Landon Learn was expected to be a big addition right away for the Reeths-Puffer wrestling team, and he has not disappointed.
Learn posted a perfect 5-0 record against some very tough competition on Saturday at the Fruitport Legends Tournament at Fruitport High School.
He improved his season record to 21-0 and leads the team with 15 pins.
Learn’s most exciting moment on Saturday came against Kent City’s Sam Kik, who is ranked No. 5 in the state in Division 3 in the 113-pound weight class.
Freshman standout Landon Learn
Learn was losing 5-3 as the clock ran down on the match, then got a three-point takedown within the last 10 seconds to squeak out a 6-5 victory.
“He’s a very, very technical wrestler,” R-P head coach Brad Cowles said about Learn. “Whenever he’s on the mat he puts on a clinic. He’s very explosive, and he’s a very good team leader for a freshman.”
Learn’s performance was a bright spot on an otherwise so-so day for the Rockets, who posted a 2-3 record against five very good teams in a series of dual matches.
R-P beat Grant 51-16 and state-ranked Kent City 39-32, but lost to Portland 46-22 and Greenville 50-21. The Rockets tied Fruitport 40-40, but the Trojans won on criteria, because R-P had one more forfeit than they did.
R-P's Travis Henderson (top)
Reeths-Puffer is now 13-5 in team competition this season. The Rockets will host Caledonia on Wednesday in an O-K Green Conference match.
“Unfortunately we underperformed and were outwrestled in every aspect – neutral, top and bottom position,” Coach Cowles said. “We started off without a full lineup – we were missing our 215-pounder Devin Welch – and lost a very important wrestler, Jake Rozycki, due to an eye poke in our first match against Portland, which forced us to forfeit the 157-pound weight class for the remainder of the tournament.
“We have a lot of things to work on as a team, but overall I still feel that with a few adjustments we will have a very competitive team.”
Other wrestlers who had good days for the Rockets were Travis Henderson, Andrew Corradin and Hunter Eek, who each posted 4-1 records, and Tanner Cowles, who went 3-2.
Several Reeths-Puffer girls competed in the Adam Provencal Tournament at Grand Haven on Saturday. Sidney Shakelford posted a 2-1 record and took second place in her weight class. Brooklyn Colson went 3-1 and finished in third place.
R-P's Clay Rozycki (left)
R-P's Zayden Zlotnicki (bottom)
R-P's Tanner Cowles