Danny Bertoni came into Middletown High School hoping to compete for a state championship in wrestling, but when he got here he was pleasantly surprised at how good the wrestling program truly was.
“My family and I expected our coaches and staff to do a great job,” said Bertoni. “They prepared our team very well.”
Bertoni started off his wrestling career at Middletown High School with a bang, winning the state championship along with posting a 44-0 record.
MHS junior Tucker Ziegler placed third at states, while Brennan Lincoln and Joshua Grossnickle both placed fifth.
This dominance is something that the wrestling team has become accustomed to, but often they do not garner the attention that other teams receive.
The football team may attract more fans and more buzz, the basketball team probably overshadows the wrestlers in the winter, but the wrestling team dosen’t let it bother them.
“I feel like we do get enough attention,” said Bertoni. “The high school recognizes our team and sometimes even certain competitors.”
The Knights have dominated competition over the past few seasons, espescially inside the county, but in matches against Urbana the Knights have struggled.
Bertoni broke that trend this year, dominating the Hawks, along with Ziegler and Grossnickle.
With help from those three the Knights climbed to the number one ranking in the state by early January.
“Our team was very excited [when we reached number one],” said Bertoni. “We knew that our hard work payed off in the end.
“After it happened it motivated us to keep working hard in order to stay in first.”
The Knights have a good core group moving forward. Bertoni, Grossnickle and Ziegler will all return next year and hope to carry the Knights to a team state championship.
“I plan to keep working hard over the summer,” said Bertoni. “I want to excel and keep my motivation for years to come.”
