Freshman Wrestler's Upcoming Season with Moen Wrestling Academy
By Student Marley Mann
Hudson Cox, a freshman at Melcher-Dallas high school, has been wrestling for the past ten years. This season, Cox will be transitioning from junior-high wrestling to high-school wrestling, along with joining a new club, Moen Wrestling Academy.
Cox reflected on what he's learned about himself and how it has impacted his everyday life. “Your mental mindset gets stronger, has made me a better person.” He then added, “I have a better work ethic. Makes me want to do better and accomplish things to the best of my ability”
While I sat down for the interview with Cox’s mother, Mrs. Andrea Cox, I asked her similar questions. One question being; What did you expect from this club? And is it like what you expected? Her response was “My child would learn a lot of new skills and have good partners, Yes”
Moen Wrestling Academy (MWA) is a club for anyone from the age of four years old to seniors in high school. MWA is run out of Des Moines, Iowa and coached by head coach TJ Moen. MWA has trained more than 1,000 kids, including 43 state champions, and 61 All-American wrestlers.
On how he felt supported and impacted by the coaches, Cox said, “If we struggle in a certain spot during either practice or a tournament the coaches help us improve.” Hudson has been wrestling since the age of five, has been a part of four clubs, been to “a lot” of tournaments, and has won roughly 400 bouts. Cox hopes that college wrestling is in the future.
This season Cox will be wrestling not just at Moen, but for high school wrestling at SEW-MD. This being his freshman year, he will be wrestling with some boys from junior high, but a lot of new boys that have already been in the high school group for a year or so now. I asked Hudson if he had any worries about this upcoming season, not just at Moen but high school too. His response was “Yeah, not sure what the high school season will look like, being small and underweight. Might affect my performance with my size.”
Wrestler returns for senior season after two years off from surgery
By Lucas Griggs
Eric Kirkpatrick, a senior, is starting his first wrestling season since his double-knee surgery in 2023.
Now that he's recovered, he feels confident that he will do well this season. He said, “I missed competing after this long off. I feel a little out of shape, but I think I have learned a lot more over the last couple of years.”
Eric has been taking care of his knees to the best of his ability to avoid reinjury. He said, “I'm not really worried about re-injury. I have been doing a lot of rehab and trying to do as much as I can for myself to avoid that.”
Senior Tucker Branson is a teammate of Eric's, and he thought that “Eric will do just fine as long as he's not too harsh on his knees.”
Tucker has been wrestling for a long time and has seen his share of injuries on the mat: “At one meet, this guy's elbow got popped out of place and he was out for a while,” he says.
Melcher-Dallas has the most kids out for wrestling that they have had for several years. There are currently 6 boys and 2 girls out.
Tucker said, “It really is a good thing to have more spots going to Melcher instead of mostly all of them being Southeast Warren.” Eric is coming back at 100%, hoping for a great season.