Lakewood senior driven to capture another state title

Cash Thompson has been to the top.

The Lakewood High School senior wrestler has experienced the thrill of reaching one of his major goals and capturing an individual state championship.

Now he's out to end his career with another title.

That has been the driving focus for Thompson as the state wrestling postseason gets started this week with team and individual districts.

“Now that I’ve won a state championship I want to win another," said Thompson, who was the Division 3 champ at 171 pounds last season. "I wake up every morning and I practice. After school I practice and I stay after a little bit (working toward that goal). I’ve been really trying to help some teammates get to that level too. I’ve been training with them and trying to help them get to it because I know the feeling (of winning a state title). It’s wonderful, it’s amazing. There’s no words to describe it, and I want them to feel the exact same experience too.”

The drive for Thompson's high school wrestling success has come from past losses. He remembers as a freshman not advancing out of the district tournament and wanting to desperately become one of the wrestlers that reached it to the individual finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills. As a sophomore he made it to the individual finals, but was further motivated by not placing.

Last season was the breakthrough as Thompson overcame nerves to navigate his way to a state title.

"I didn’t know if I could do it honestly," Thompson said. "I just kept on praying to the Lord and he helped me through it all. Prayer really helped me through, honestly. It helped calm my nerves, and to be honest, I think that’s why I won because I was able to calm myself through that. Once I finally won, it was just incredible. I can’t even explain it honestly. It was the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life and I definitely want that again this year."

Thompson owns a 31-1 mark heading into the postseason with the lone loss coming by injury default. Michigan Grappler had Thompson as the No. 2-ranked wrestler at 171 pounds in Division 3 in its latest individual rankings that were released Wednesday.

And with a state championship under his belt, Thompson is confident as he embarks on another postseason run.

"I’m going to go out there and attack and I’m not going to let up or anything just because I’m feeling nervous," Thompson said. "I’m going to go out there and attack (and try to) earn a state title."

Thompson is after more than individual success and hopes to help Lakewood, ranked No. 5 by Michigan Grappler, make a deep postseason run. The GLAC champion Vikings haven't made it to the state finals in a few seasons and Thompson believes they are capable of making it this year.

"We’re hoping for a top-four finish honestly," Thompson said. "We’re looking very, very good. As long as we can keep everybody healthy, we should have a really good chance at a run. Anything can happen, and we can also end up losing right at districts. It just depends on the day and how everyone wrestles. Our focus has been to really, really drive these past few weeks and to get better and focus because if we lose now, that’s just saying we could have and there’s no proof of it. We want to actually be that proof and actually make it there."

Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.

TEAM DISTRICTS

WEDNESDAY
DIVISION 1 AT EAST LANSING
East Lansing vs. Everett, 5:30 p.m.
Okemos vs. Grand Ledge, 5:30 p.m.

DIVISION 1 AT BATTLE CREEK LAKEVIEW
Jackson vs. Battle Creek Lakeview, 5 p.m.
Holt vs. winner

DIVISION 2 AT ST. JOHNS
St. Johns vs. Flint Kearsley, 6 p.m.
Owosso vs. winner,

DIVISION 2 AT CHARLOTTE
Jackson Northwest vs. Eaton Rapids, 6 p.m.
Charlotte vs. Parma Western, 6 p.m.

DIVISION 2 AT FOWLERVILLE
Dexter vs. Mason, 5:30 p.m.
Fowlerville vs. Chelsea, 5:30 p.m.

DIVISION 2 AT EASTERN
Eastern vs. Haslett, 5:30 p.m.
Waverly vs. winner

DIVISION 2 AT BATH
DeWitt vs. Lansing Catholic/Bath, 6 p.m.
Ionia vs. winner

DIVISION 3 AT CORUNNA
Durand vs. Corunna, 6 p,m.
Flint Powers vs. winner

DIVISION 3 AT LAKEWOOD
Lakewood vs. Kalamazoo-Comstock, 5:30 p.m.
Parchment vs. Delton Kellogg, 5:30 p.m.

DIVISION 4 AT FULTON
Fowler vs. Laingsburg, 6 p.m.
Fulton vs. Carson City-Crystal, 7 p.m.

DIVISION 4 AT MAPLE VALLEY
Maple Valley vs. Homer, 6 p.m.
Springport vs. winner

DIVISION 4 AT DANSVILLE
Webberville vs. Dansville, 6 p.m.
Whitmore Lake vs. winner

THURSDAY
DIVISION 3 AT SEXTON
Sexton vs. Williamston, 5:30 p.m.
Portland vs. winner

DIVISION 3 AT LESLIE
Olivet vs. Leslie, 6 p.m.
Battle Creek Pennfield vs. winner

DIVISION 3 AT CHESANING
Alma vs. Ovid-Elsie, 6 p.m.
Ithaca vs. Chesaning, 6 p.m.

INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS

SATURDAY

DIVISION 1 AT JACKSON: East Lansing, Grand Ledge, Holt, Everett, Okemos

DIVISION 2 AT GAYLORD: Owosso, St. Johns

DIVISION 2 AT DEWITT: Bath/Lansing Catholic, Charlotte, DeWitt, Eaton Rapids, Fowlerville, Haslett, Ionia, Eastern, Waverly, Mason

DIVISION 3 AT WILLIAMSTON: Alma, Corunna, Ithaca, Sexton, Ovid-Elsie, Perry, Portland, Williamston

DIVISION 3 AT MICHIGAN CENTER: Leslie, Olivet, Stockbridge

DIVISION 3 AT CONSTANTINE: Lakewood

DIVISION 4 AT HOLTON: Carson City-Crystal, Fowler, Fulton, Laingsburg

DIVISION 4 AT BANGOR: Maple Valley

DIVISION 4 AT CLINTON: Dansville