BIG RAPIDS – It’s the first day of spring sports practices for area athletes, which didn’t leave much time for those who recently ended their winter seasons to have a break.
This includes Big Rapids senior athletes like Brody Sleeper who returned from the state finals a week ago in wrestling and will begin basketball practices this week. He finished with a 26-8 record
“Sleeper who was a leader for us as well as winning a lot of big matches,” Big Rapids coach Bruce Hoffman said.
Sleeper and teammate Brett Root both wrestled in the state meet but didn’t place.
“The state finals is a very tough tournament,” Hoffman said. “I am very proud of Brett and Brody for qualifying for it. Both wrestled well at the tournament, unfortunately their opponents wrestled a little better.”
“At the beginning of the season, my goal was to go back to the state tournament and I achieved that goal so I am more than grateful for that,” Sleeper said.
Late in the season, Sleeper acknowledged he was battling a bad ankle injury. At that stage, prior to the districts, he was 22-3 and said he was having his best season.
“Definitely maturity helps being a senior,” he said. “I think I’m pretty good with my positions. My neutral is pretty solid.”
He said he spent the season trying to improve on his bottom position and getting out of it.
As a freshman Sleeper went to state but didn’t place. He got knocked out by COVID as a sophomore and last years was knocked out by injury.
As wrestling, he was reaching his late stages and admitted he was looking forward to baseball when it was time to start the spring sport. But he admitted he was going to miss wrestling.
“I’ll miss being with the team, going to practice and being with the team and sweating with the boys,” Sleeper said.
From wrestling to baseball, there’s no rest for Sleeper
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