“We wrestled hard today, but there are a few fundamental things — like positioning and control — we need to work on,” Alpena’s head coach Matt Kowalski said.

After the match, Kowalski reflected on the team’s performance.

“It’s not just about wins and losses — it’s about every moment of every match,” he said. “We had guys scoring points and battling in tight matches. Cadillac wrestled well, but there are positives to build on.”

The evening began with Brody Oliver, at 157 pounds, who held a competitive match against Maximus Narovich. Oliver scored in the second period and stayed active but ultimately was pinned at 4:55.

News Photo by Leslianne Johns Haley Stenz faces her opponent in the neutral position, ready to engage during Wednesday’s wrestling match in Alpena.

Following Oliver, Westin Mitchell, at 165 pounds, wrestled Ethan Downing. Mitchell was pinned at 2:27.

At 175 pounds, Lyrik Ricketts fought against Colten Longstreet, managing to score early points before falling by technical fall at 2:57.

A 215-pound match saw Dawson Smolinski wrestle against Parker Rood. Smolinski attempted to set up his offense but was pinned just 21 seconds into the bout.

The heavyweight match featured Dominic Ford against Cadillac’s Shawn Paszkowiski. Ford worked to defend against early aggression but was pinned at 30 seconds.

Carolyn Parker, at 106 pounds, competed in a high-paced match against Aaron Shively, scoring points before being pinned at 1:34.

News Photo by Leslianne Johns Tryst Buckowiecki attempts a single-leg takedown on her opponent on Wednesday during a wrestling match in Alpena.

In lighter weight classes, Haley Stenz, at 113 pounds, faced Charles Schafer. Despite Stenz’s efforts to stay in the match, Schafer secured a technical fall at the 4:00 mark.

Jonathan Parris, at 120 pounds, scored points against Cashton Sours before being pinned at 4:53.

Faith Mattzela, at 126 pounds, earned multiple escapes before being pinned at 5:10.

Eli Werth, at 138 pounds, showed aggression in the opening minutes of his match against Westyn Haslett but was pinned at 1:27.

At 144 pounds, Matthew Spencer scored two points through reversals but fell by technical fall at 3:26.

When asked about improving in future matches, Kowalski emphasized perseverance.

“We’re a fairly young team, and when they face adversity, they need to keep wrestling and working,” Kowalski said. “A match can turn around at any moment.”

Looking ahead to the next competition, Kowalski outlined plans to focus on fundamentals.

“Saturday’s tournament will feature teams more on our level, and I expect us to learn from tonight and perform significantly better,” he said Wednesday.

The Wildcats will host a home dual tournament this Saturday at 10 a.m.