High school wrestling preview: Wrestlers to watch

Dan D'Addona, Holland Sentinel

HOLLAND - After a state championship and a number of elite performances, Holland-area wrestling is looking toward another season of success.

Here is a look at some wrestlers to watch:

Isabel Anaya

West Ottawa's Isabel Anaya poses for a portrait Thursday, March 30, 2023, at West Ottawa High School. Anaya has been neamed The Sentinel's Girl's Wrestler of The Year.
West Ottawa's Isabel Anaya poses for a portrait Thursday, March 30, 2023, at West Ottawa High School. Anaya has been neamed The Sentinel's Girl's Wrestler of The Year.

SCHOOL: West Ottawa

GRADE: Junior

ON THE MAT: Anaya finished third at the state tournament at 235 to earn all-state honors. She was selected as THe Holland Sentinel Girls Wrestler of the Year.

COACH'S VIEW: "She wrestled with a sense of urgency, always looking to score and dominate her opponents. Isabel never let the score dictate her approach to the match, wrestling like it was always 0-0. Her dedication and work ethic paid off, and we're incredibly proud of her for finishing her season as a state placer." - Last year's coach Ryan Lancaster

Israel Castro

Israel Castro
Israel Castro

SCHOOL: Holland

GRADE: Senior

ON THE MAT: Won the OK Green Conference championship at 138 and finished 24-10 to reach regionals.

COACH'S VIEW: "Israel showed a lot of grit and toughness this year by grinding through some injuries. Israel's desire to win and toughness have put in the running as one of the top wrestlers in the area the last few years. Israel is one of the best technicians around when it comes to wrestling. Israel is very smart and physical on the mat, which is a great combination." - Nick Lewin

Shane Dams

Hamilton's Shane Dams wrestles with Coopersville boys wreslting Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at Coopersville High School.
Hamilton's Shane Dams wrestles with Coopersville boys wreslting Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at Coopersville High School.

SCHOOL: Hamilton

GRADE: Junior

ON THE MAT: finished 46-6, including a seventh-place finish at the state tournament a 215 to earn all-state honors.

COACH'S VIEW: "Shane put in a lot of work last off-season. Going from a JV wrestler to an all-state wrestler is a tremendous leap. We look forward to his continuous improvement." - Trenton Holyfield

Gavin Drenten

Zeeland East wrestler Gavin Drenten claimed the Division 2 district championship at 126 pounds.
Zeeland East wrestler Gavin Drenten claimed the Division 2 district championship at 126 pounds.

SCHOOL: Zeeland East

GRADE: Junior

ON THE MAAT: Went 49-5 last year. Won the OK Green Conference title, district title, was regional runner-up and took sixth in the state at 126 pounds to earn all-state honors.

COACH'S VIEW: "Gavin approaches the sport each match with a workmanlike manner. He just steps on the mat, gets the job done often simply dominating his opponents, and then begins his preparation for his next match/competition. He wrestles year-round. And best of all Gavin has helped provide fantastic example of consistency, hard-work, and dedication for other East wrestlers to imitate for individual success." - Marty Landes

Remington Foster

Hamilton wrestler Remington Foster reached 100 career wins and advanced to regionals.
Hamilton wrestler Remington Foster reached 100 career wins and advanced to regionals.

SCHOOL: Hamilton

GRADE: Senior

ON THE MAT: Was a state qualifier after finishing the seaosn 42-10 at 190 pounds. Took second at conference, third at districts and fourth at regionals.

COACH'S VIEW: "Remy was one of our most dominant wrestlers. He scored a lot of team points for us. He also filled a major leadership role for our team which was a huge part of our success." - Trenton Holyfield

Malachi Kapenga

Hamilton's Malachi Kapenga poses for a portrait Thursday, March 16, 2023, at Hamilton High School. Kapenga has been named The Sentinel's Boy's Wrestler of The Year.
Hamilton's Malachi Kapenga poses for a portrait Thursday, March 16, 2023, at Hamilton High School. Kapenga has been named The Sentinel's Boy's Wrestler of The Year.

SCHOOL: Hamilton

GRADE: Junior

ON THE MAT: Kapenga won the Division 3 state championship at 113 pounds last year and was the Sentinel Boys Wrestler of the Year. He topped the No. 1-2-3 seeds to win the title.

COACH'S VIEW: "This was Malachi’s goal since the state tournament last year. He worked towards this all off season. He was locked in all weekend and had a peak performance. Couldn’t have happened to a better kid. I’m so proud of him." - Trenton Holyfield.

Kham Phothisan

Kham Phothisan
Kham Phothisan

SCHOOL: Zeeland West

GRADE: Senior

ON THE MAT: Went 26-13 before getting injured.

COACH'S VIEW: "Kham is one of the hardest working kids we have ever coached. His work ethics leads and pushes the young guys around him to improve. Battled some injuries at the end of the season, look forward to his senior year." - Cody Stewart

Kaydence Vesper

Holland wrestler Kaydence Vesper.
Holland wrestler Kaydence Vesper.

SCHOOL: Holland

GRADE: Senior

ON THE MAT: Qualified for state for the second year in a row.

COACH'S VIEW: "For the second year in a row Kaydence finished in the top 16 of the state. Kaydence is constantly finding ways to improve and it shows in her performance on the mat. As a coach we are always impressed with the aggressiveness and tempo that Kaydence wrestles with. Kaydence would always do what is best for the team this season and is a great example of a team player." - Nick Lewin

Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: High school wrestling preview: Wrestlers to watch

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