Lakers Wrestlers Ready to Take Down All Comers

The "blood round” brought out the greatest of fears in Thomas Hasenauer as he watched his son, a star senior wrestler for , wrestle in what was possibly his last match.

“It’s very tense for us as parents,” said Hasenauer, whose son, Avery, stands at 37-6 on the season at 145 pounds. “It’s his senior year. He’s not anticipating wrestling in college, so you just have to put your best foot forward and leave no regrets out there. And that’s what he did.”

Avery Hasenauer won his blood round and finished the match Feb. 19 with a 9-4, double-overtime victory over Pontiac High’s Andre Young, en route to qualifying for the individual Michigan High School Athletic Association finals beginning Thursday at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Head coach Greg Alessi said that Hasenauer, along with teammate and fellow senior Anthony Thompson, who also qualified, have a good chance of placing in the top eight of the competition.

"The way I see it, if they do what they do best at the right time, they’ve got a good chance to win big," Alessi said.

“We wrestle to win, and we don’t let a moment take away from an opportunity," he said. "Anthony and Avery are very different kids with different styles, and I’m looking forward to seeing them go.”

Hasenauer’s strengths lie in his conditioning and his intelligence, according to assistant coach Courtland Bartlett, and those strengths translate on the mat into an elite technique that should prove valuable in competition.

“Avery did a good job by wrestling the full six minutes (against Young)," Bartlett said. "He didn’t get tired and give up, he just leads by example. Avery’s a really smart kid who stays in great position, and it’s going to come down to who is more prepared Thursday.”

Alessi agreed and pointed out that the atmosphere at the Palace should work to Hasenauer’s advantage.

“We’re good, but we’re no traditional powerhouse program,” he said. “Avery’s a smart kid, with something like a 3.8 grade-point average, and he’s a leader … but he’s never been to a state tournament. He understands the atmosphere, and this is something he’s worked toward.”

Thomas Hasenauer, 54, of Commerce said that his son’s biggest focus, as he prepares to take on Hudsonville High senior Jared Zimmerman in the first round, is on enjoying the moment. “It’s a huge accomplishment just to be in the tournament,” the elder Hasenauer said. “I just try to teach him that the game has changed him for the better.”

Thompson takes a natural approach

Thompson would be able to relate. According to Alessi, Thompson has improved his maturity en route to a breakout senior season, allowing for a 38-12 record at the 130-pound level.

“He’s a real grown-up who has made a serious commitment," Alessi said. "He’s really grown up this year in particular and really lived up to his potential. Anthony is much more natural than Avery; whereas Avery is a tactician, Anthony is a natural, a feeler. He’s so smooth out there, so it’s a pleasure to watch him now.”

Gregory Thompson, 55, of Pontiac said that his son’s maturity will help him as he continues into the finals and considers offers to wrestle for Mercyhurst (Pennsylvania) and Knox (Illinois) at the collegiate level.

“He’s really prepared himself mentally (for the finals)," Thompson said of his son. "He knows who he’s wrestling in the first round, and he said that he’s beaten him before, but he’s not taking him lightly. Anthony’s taught me something as a parent — sometimes, you just gotta trust your kid.”

Bartlett, 26, of Birmingham said that Thompson’s confidence will help Anthony, who has gone up to 135 pounds, in his first-round matchup against Hudsonville’s Marcos Diaz.

“One of the things I like to see is when he gets the first takedown," Bartlett said. "It’s decisive. Some kids like to feel it out, but it has a little bit of a mental state if you take it to the guy. It seems to be very helpful.”

Bartlett added that it’s important for the two Lakers to be taking on two wrestlers from Hudsonville in the first round together, for a number of reasons.

“It’s just so random, we had to have a laugh about it because it feels like a dual meet,” he said. “It’s good that the two will have each other to draw from to study their opponents, but it’s more important to just take it to the other guy. Really, it’s just about them being together.”

“It’s a long, grueling season, and it’s good that they have good heads on their shoulders," Bartlett said. "They know that this is it, but they’re going to have fun with it.”