MOUNT VERNON — Mavrik Gregory may not believe in ghosts, but he has been chasing one that he finally vanquished over the weekend in Oregon, Ohio.
The Mount Vernon senior stood atop the podium to receive his first-place hardware after winning the 157-pound wresetling championship in the Maumee Bay Classic.
“I’ve been following the tournament for a while, and it has kind of haunted me,” Gregory said. “I watched my brother (Wyatt) wrestle there and he graduated in 2020.”
In his fifth match of the weekend, Gregory won by decision over Wadsworth High School’s Kyle Jardine.
“I was just so excited,” Gregor said. “Last year I had the flu and went out 0-2, my junior year I did not place.”
Yellow Jackets coach Corey Firebaugh said Gregory has put a ton of work in this past off-season to get where he is now.
“He is wrestling with a lot of confidence right now and it stems from how he prepared in the off-season,” Firebaugh said. “The Maumee Bay Classic is one of the toughest in-season Ohio tournaments, so for him to win that tournament is pretty impressive.
“We are really happy with where he is right now, but he knows he has to stay focused and keep working to achieve the goals he has set for himself this season.”
While Gregory knows he steps onto the mat alone he also knows he did not get there alone.
“I would like to thank my family, friends and coaches,” Gregory said. “Alex (Taylor) has been a huge help to me, he keeps pushing me in the right direction.”