The Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union wrestling team has a mixture of youth and experience heading into the upcoming season. The squad returns two state qualifiers from a season ago, one from each school district. Junior Josh Keller from Columbus represented the team in the 106 pound weight class. Keller was the squad’s lone medalist, finishing 5th in last year’s state tournament. Head wrestling Coach Bill Plein said Keller has been training for the upcoming season.

“Josh did a fair amount of spring and summer wrestling.” Plein said, “I think is intensity level and his performance level has picked up proportionally to that. He is one of those quiet leaders that leads by example.”

The other returning state qualifier is senior Kyle Davis from Winfield. Last year, Davis wrestled in the 285 pound weight class. Plein says Davis’s leadership style is opposite of Keller’s apporach.

“Kyle is on the other end of the escholon.” Plein said, “He is kind of the heavier weights, a hard worker, very explosive wrestler. He has got enthusiasm our kids tend to grasp onto.”

Plein is encouraged by the number of new wrestlers coming out of the Winfield, and is sorting out number of athletes expected to wrestle this season.

Practice for Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union wrestling starts next Monday. The team’s first dual is December fourth with the Mount Pleasant Panthers.