The Comeback

He is getting tired and time is running out. He shoots for the left leg. Takedown, 2  points. He flips the opponent on his back. The ref slaps the mat. Pinned, the match is over. Now time for push-ups and sit-ups to stay conditioned.

This is the life of Tanner Stark.

Tanner Stark, 5’11” Senior, is not just one of your average High School wrestlers. Last year he was just one of the sixteen that qualified for MSHSL State Wrestling Class AA at 152 lbs. He ended the season 24-9 with his very first state appearance. This 2017-2018 season he is hoping to make his second and final appearance at state, with big goals, at 152 lbs, but it was not a short and easy road to get to where he is at today.

Tanner had been wrestling ever since 3rd grade, but his 8th-grade year he decided it wasn’t for him. “The coaches were a factor, but it was mainly because I wasn’t having a good year. So I decided to quit,” said Tanner. “Then I started to go to Vogel Arena every day to lift, eventually I started getting more muscle over the years. I also wrestled freestyle and Greco at Southern Minnesota Wrestling Club in my free time. My Sophomore year came around and I decided I’d go out for wrestling again,” Stark said. He didn’t finish the season like he planned. “It was two days before individual sections. I was wrestling at practice with one of my teammates and I rolled on my neck wrong. All my body weight went straight to my neck and all of a sudden I couldn’t move. My whole body went limp. One of my coaches called 911. I was transported by ambulance to New Ulm Medical Center for 10 hours and then I was transported HCMC (Hennepin County Medical Center). After being at HCMC for 10 hours the feeling came back in my body. They kept me for a total of 24 hours for observation. The doctor told me my body went into a shock because of how much weight was put on my neck,” Stark said. Due to his injury he was unable to wrestle at individual sections that year. “Getting injured wasn’t the worst part of the whole situation, not getting to wrestle at sections was. It is what every wrestler works for all season and when someone tells you that you can’t, it’s a heartbreaker,” he said.

But that wasn’t it for the troubles. October of his Junior year Tanner was attempting a backflip at wrestling practice. He (embarrassingly) said, “When I landed, I landed on my ankle sideways. I figured it was a bad sprain, so I just kept practicing and iced it for a while when I got home. Three days later my whole ankle was black and purple. I went to the doctor, they did x-rays, and it was broke.” He ended up missing the first 3 weeks of wrestling that year. When he came back he was a little “rusty” from not wrestling for a while, but as the season went on he got a lot better. “Matches finally started going how I wanted and I started getting more wins. I had a small set back when I got very sick in January and I had to forfeit a match after throwing up 5 times before the match, but I recovered quickly from it” he added.

Individual sections were coming up in Redwood, MN where they really underestimated Tanner. He was seeded 6th out of 13 at 152 lbs. The first 3 matches he won, but the fourth match was a little bit more difficult for Stark. It was the section championship and Tanner was facing Peyton Mortenson from Dawson Boyd Lac Qui Parle who was seeded number 1 at 152 lbs. Tanner ended up losing the match with a decision of 3-5. He then had to wrestle a true second match against Jeremiah Dooyema from Luverne who was seeded at number 3. “This was the most intense match I have ever been in,” said Tanner. He ended up winning the match with a decision of 10-9 with a trip to state in the week to come.

Individual state was March 3rd and 4th of 2017. “State didn’t go as planned, but it was my first appearance and I wasn’t too sure of what to expect. I knew there was going to be lots of great wrestlers there, but I was out there to have fun,” said Tanner.

Now the 2017-2018 season is off to a start. The team started practice on November 20th and their first tournament was on December 2nd. Tanner went 3-1 in the tournament to earn 3rd place. Stark hopes to improve his losses from last year and keep them in the single digits. He is also hoping to make a state appearance and come home with a medal. “It’s going to be tough, but I have big dreams that I’d like to fulfill and I will be wrestling at college,” he added. The team as a whole is hoping to send 4 wrestlers to state this year: Cole Ranweiler (132), Sean Howk (138), Hunter Ranweiler (145), and Tanner Stark (152).