Jan 26

Jan 26 La Grange Wrestling Club Shows Growth, Depth at NCWAY Spartan Classic

La Grange Wrestling Club Shows Growth, Depth at NCWAY Spartan Classic

The La Grange Wrestling Club continues to establish itself as a rising presence in Eastern North Carolina, turning in a strong all-division performance at the NCWAY 8th Annual Spartan Classic while competing against some of the top clubs in the region.

The tournament, which featured wrestlers from multiple states and drew 60 teams, showcased the club’s depth from youth levels through high school.

The day began with the Lil Grapplers, where La Grange produced several podium finishes. Greyson Head earned a first-place finish, Ben Tilghman finished second, while Jackson Foster secured a second-place result in the Littles division. Nolan Gifford and Blake Gifford added third-place finishes, helping the youth group place 13th overall in the standings.

Those early results set the tone for a strong showing from the club’s middle and high school wrestlers, who represented Lenoir, Wayne, Greene, and Pitt counties throughout the day.

In the middle school division, Jackson Earnest captured a first-place finish, continuing the club’s momentum. Five wrestlers — Rosa Flores, Luisi Vazquez, Anthony, Morgan Taylor, and Jackson Earnest — captured first-place finishes across the middle and high school brackets. Ana Flores, Isai Espinosa, Jesica, and Tyler Jones finished as runners-up, while Landon Head, Ronnie Frizzelle, Justus Felton, and Alejandro Flores earned third-place finishes. Jonathan Tyner, Danny, and Braiden Martin rounded out the group with fourth-place results.

When all age groups were combined, La Grange Wrestling Club finished ninth out of 60 teams overall, with its high school division placing first.

Head coach Reid Rouse said the results reflect the commitment his wrestlers have shown both inside and outside the club room.

“Our kids practice twice a week, with the middle and high school going sometimes four days a week,” Rouse said. “They have put a tremendous amount of time and effort into the club, in addition to what they do at their individual school practices.”

The Spartan Classic marked another step forward in what has been a productive season for the program. Just two weeks earlier, the club’s K–middle school team finished second at a youth league dual event in Greenville.

“There were kids on teams from multiple states at the one this weekend, and finishing ninth out of 60 with all weights and ages combined was great,” Rouse said. “We were first in the high school and middle school ages.”

Rouse also credited the club’s coaching staff for the program’s continued development, highlighting Coach Chad Beaman as an integral part of the group.

Beaman, who also coaches at Greene Middle School, works closely with the rest of the staff to ensure wrestlers receive proper instruction and have what they need to succeed, consistently putting in time behind the scenes to support both athlete development and the overall operation of the club. Also helping coach former wrestlers at North Lenoir High School, Jared Santiago and Christopher Gutierrez-fuentes give their time and effort into the club as well.

With momentum building, the club now turns its attention to the postseason portion of the youth schedule. The K–middle school group will compete Feb. 29 at the NCWAY NC State Championships in Fayetteville.

Following that event, K–5 wrestlers will continue in folkstyle competition, traveling to different programs to gain additional mat time, while the middle and high school wrestlers will transition into freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.

Beyond tournament results, Rouse emphasized that the club’s impact extends beyond medals.

“The club has kids from Wayne, Lenoir, Greene and Pitt counties,” he said. “We are trying to build wrestling up in our area.”

That effort is already showing progress. Rouse noted that Channing Rouse was instrumental in helping bring wrestling to Spring Creek Middle School beginning next year, with hopes that additional schools will follow.

“We are a club for all and just want the kids to have another sports option,” Rouse said. “With the diversity of weight classes, anyone can participate.”

As La Grange Wrestling Club continues to grow in numbers and competitive success, the focus remains on development — building opportunities, expanding access, and giving athletes across Eastern North Carolina a place to compete.