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Mount Prospect honors middle school wrestling champs

Having successfully grappled with statewide competition, the wrestling Lions of Lincoln Middle School basked in the afterglow of their success at a recent Mount Prospect village board meeting.

The board issued a proclamation honoring the team for its best season yet, in which the Lions captured first place in a highly competitive middle school tournament, and defeated all comers during the regular season.

The team was its conference's dual champion, and featured six individual champions.

"This historic team boasted three female wrestlers, who audaciously broke the boundaries of a traditional male sport and contributed to the team's overall success," the village proclamation reads. "For the first time in Lincoln's history, one Lady Lion wrestler rose to qualify at

sectionals, the only female to do so."

That wrestler, 12-year-old seventh grader Vivian Kowalczyk, said, "It shouldn't be unexpected that a girl can beat a guy."

The team also sent five qualifiers to state. Individual state placers were Nathan Lopez. Joel Muehlenbeck, Damien Puma and Michael Matuszak.

Overall, the team finished 12th among 80 schools in the state competition.

When the team stood up for a picture during the meeting, several of the members were notable for their dyed-blonde hair.

"When kids qualify to go to state, it's been a tradition that they dye their hair," explained coach Angel Lopez.

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