Over the weekend, the Madison Cubs High School wrestling team had six wrestlers attend the semi state competition in Indianapolis. However, no Cubs wrestler made it to the state finals. Four of the six wrestlers did not advance past the first round of the meet, but Madison did have two members of the team advance to the ticket round.

Senior Gabe Bennett and junior Camden Spears both came within one match of advancing to the state finals. Even though Spears’ season ended with a loss, he is looking forward to the future.

“We had some tough matches this season. (We had) a few that could’ve gone either way, but I’m excited for next year,” Spears said.

While the end of the season is bittersweet for the senior wrestlers, that does not take away from the incredible season the team put together and the relationships the sport helped forge.

Senior Otto Kling said, “Personally, when I moved here, I didn’t have a whole lot of friends, but wrestling really introduced me to a lot of guys that I came away having a strong bond with.”

Kling added, “It’s worth it. Not only are you creating these friendships with these guys, but you get to grow physically and mentally. You have to put in the work. Your team is right there with you the whole time, and it makes you really feel like you’re apart of something special. It’s really like a family.”