This year at Antioch, the wrestling team has been very successful. This years Sequoits have many state ranked wrestlers, including senior Patrick Schoenfelder and George Bessette, who are currently ranked first in state, sophomore Xavier Sanchez who is ranked fifth, and freshman Luke Menzies who is ranked eighth.

Before Menzies was a state ranked freshman at Antioch, he wrestled for the Lakeland Predators Club, which he started in the fifth grade. When Menzies started at Antioch Upper Grade School (AUGS), he qualified for state in only his second year of wrestling. In his seventh and eighth grade seasons he placed top 16 in the state of Illinois. While he wrestled for AUGS, he continued his career as a Lakeland Predator using advanced wrestling methods for his age. 

When Menzies first came to Antioch he started off on the Varsity team along with three other freshman: Nial Schoenfelder, Devin Nobiling and Elijah Reyes. Menzies said that he was nervous when the season started because he was scared he was going to be too small. As the season progressed, so did he.

“I started to fit in, and I feel kind of natural here,” Menzies said. “I’ve bonded with my team and now it feels like family.”

Being one of the four members of his “family” that is state ranked, Menzies said that he feels like he has a target on his back. Every time he goes out to wrestle, the other teams are going to try their absolute best against him to beat since he is ranked. He does his best to not pay attention to the rankings.

“I try not to think about what other people think about me,” Menzies said. “I try to go out there and wrestle the best I can.”

With regionals coming up soon, Menzies will continue with his team in the 113 weight class and attempt to make a run for state. He is hoping not just himself, but his team will make it down to state and continue their successful season.