By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
FARGO, N.D.—Winning a championship is hard.
Repeating as champion might be even harder.
Yet that’s exactly what Plainwell High School wrestling standout Madison Nieuwenhuis had the opportunity to do at the Junior & 16U Nationals last weekend.
One year after winning the national title at 100 pounds, Nieuwenhuis squared off with Pennsylvania’s Jaclyn Bouzakis in the finals of the same weight class on Sunday, July 14.
And while Nieuwenhuis fell short by a score of 6-0, simply making it back to the finals was a huge accomplishment as no other defending champs were able to do so.
“Overall, I was proud of the way I competed,” Nieuwenhuis said. “Of course I wanted to win, but there were a lot of new competitors this year who were very good. So, to make it back to the finals for a second straight year feels really good.”
For the tournament, Nieuwenhuis posted a 5-1 record. That included wins over Morghan Shultz of Nebraska, Summer Mutschler of Maryland, Ava Schulz of Minnesota, Katie Biscoglia of Iowa and Ryleigh Sturgillof Tennessee in the semifinals.
Nieuwenhuis gave up a total of seven points in her six matches.
Nieuwenhuis’ father Bob couldn’t have been prouder of his daughter’s effort.
“She did really well,” Bob Nieuwenhuis said. “She works so hard and is so dedicated to this sport. It’s just a lot of fun to see her out there doing her thing.”
Also watching Nieuwenhuis do her thing was a group of supporters at Plainwell High School who were having a watch party for the finals. Plainwell High School wrestling coach Rodd Leonard organized the watch party.
“Knowing she has that kind of support back home meant a lot to us,” Bob Nieuwenhuis said. “Plainwell is a great community and they showed that again.”
Nieuwenhuis appreciated the support.
“I’m so thankful for all of my coaches, teammates and everyone else who has been there for me,” she said. “It means so much to me.”
Nieuwenhuis’ introduction to wrestling came at the age of four when she watched a cousin compete in a tournament.
“She’s been hooked ever since,” Bob Nieuwenhuis said.
Following her performance at Nationals, Nieuwenhuis plans to take some time off to recover.
“I’m going to let my body rest a heal up a little,” she said. “But I’m excited to get back at it as soon as possible and keep moving forward.”
Among Nieuwenhuis’ goals is to win another high school state championship.
