2023 NAIA The Season = Hannibal LaGrange

 

Going on to Hannibal-LaGrange's athletics website and seeing that wrestling no longer exist is as infuriating as it is disheartening. I have studied discontinued wrestling programs to death and it always amazes me that a school seems to always pick about the worst time that they could to discontinue their wrestling program. They had something really special in Gavin Morawitz who I will expand upon here in a second. A local kid from Hannibal who chose to compete in an area where his family and friends could continue watching him compete. Why Hannibal-LaGrange wouldn't want that representation is beyond me. What makes sense is to be proud of such accomplishment. What makes sense is to give him every opportunity to achieve these goals. Instead they do just the opposite. Tell him they don't want him and force him to look for a new home. 

157 lbs
Gavin Morawitz 

Gavin Morawitz completely owned the American Midwest Conference last season. In three matches to a title, none of them got out of the first period. 24-11 in his rookie campaign last season, I hope the Trojans are fully aware that they gave up the opportunity to crown what may have been the best wrestler they ever produced. There's little to no reason to think that Morawitz couldn't have one day ended his career a four time conference champion. He'll probably go on to be an All American elsewhere as well. 

There's absolutely no reason at all that men's sports doesn't include wrestling & for that matter that women's sports also doesn't include wrestling.  Shame on you Hannibal-LaGrange, shame on you.