Wisconsin Rapids Youth Wrestling shines at WWF Folkstyle Championships

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wisconsin Rapids Youth Wrestling club showcased its talent at the WWF Folkstyle Championships, held March 28-31 in Madison, with an impressive 17 qualifiers. Seven of these young athletes placed in the top six, including state champion Hudson Fuller at 48 pounds.
Hudson’s victory is a testament to perseverance and dedication. Reflecting on his season, his father Doug Fuller emphasized the life lessons wrestling imparts.
“The greatest thing about wrestling is that it teaches you about life. When you’re down, life will come down on you harder. What wrestling teaches you is how to battle through those tough times and find it within yourself to come out of it,” Fuller said. “That sums up Hudson’s season. He took losses along the way, but he worked his way back. He earned it in every possible way. There is no easy way.”
For Hudson, the experience was unforgettable.
“I am really proud of myself. Running out of the tunnel to the finals was amazing,” he said. “I want to thank my teammates and coaches who helped me through the season, especially my dad.”

In addition to Hudson’s championship, Wisconsin Rapids also had two second-place finishers: Waylon Fuller (78 pounds) and Bentley Goodenough (125 pounds). The team saw three fourth-place finishes from Greysen Ganski (54 pounds), Colten DeMarco (81 pounds) and Reed Akkerman (80 pounds), while Hazel Holden (95 pounds) secured a fifth-place finish.
Coach Ben Brueggen expressed his pride in the team’s performance.
“I am beyond proud of how our athletes and coaches represented the Rapids Wrestling Program in Madison this past weekend,” he said. “All of these kids put in a lot of extra work in the season and off-season, and to see it come to fruition is a truly rewarding moment for a coach.
“As a whole, all of our qualifiers had a combined record of 49 wins and 28 losses. That is truly an astounding statistic and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our kids and coaching staff.”
The following wrestlers qualified for the state tournament: Hudson Fuller (48 pounds), Greysen Ganski (54 pounds), Kobe Baltus (54 pounds), Zoey Vavrina (65 pounds), Declan Tritz (72 pounds), Levi Jaminski (73 pounds), Braxton Bagnowski (75 pounds), Waylon Fuller (78 pounds), Reed Akkerman (80 pounds), Colten DeMarco (81 pounds), Dalton Jackson (85 pounds), Jackson Stanton (94 pounds), Hazel Holden (95 pounds), Riley Morin (95 pounds), Wyatt Fuller (100 pounds) and Bentley Goodenough (125 pounds).