WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Whistles and slams could be heard all throughout Midway as the Panthers hosted their first-ever wrestling event.
"This event is two years in the making. We've been operating here now as a club status and so we're incredibly excited for our student-athletes to put their hard work to the test,” Midway wrestling head coach Temkai Clark said.
"It's pretty crazy because like last year we started this whole team, me and a few of my buddies -- me, Ken, and Elijah, like one of the main groups, and it's grown so much. We had only like 10 kids last year, we have like 35 now that compete,” junior Cian Mellott said.
The team was formed just last year and other Central Texas schools have also started up wrestling programs. The expansion of wrestling in our neighborhoods is undeniable.
"The state of Texas has seen a huge growth in the sport and we were excited to give our boys an opportunity and they ran with it. And so we had a couple of initial meetings and we knew we had something,” Clark said.
"At first it was like we didn't even have a mat room really. It was like we had to roll these mats out in the auxiliary gym. We finally got recognition, we got a mat room, we got everything and it's like a bunch of people are joining football season just like once football season got out a bunch of football players joined and just exponentially grew,” Mellott said.
Currently, Midway wrestling is just a club, but the team is looking to be part of the UIL for the 2025-2026 season.
“More recognition, recognition from colleges we'd be able to do so much more. We'd be able to have meets like this every Wednesday,” Mellott said.
“Really excited about what our boys have done and where they're headed. The sport and growth in Texas is everywhere and we're incredibly excited at the opportunity for our student-athletes to be a part of that growth,” Clark said.
With events like these, we will see if eventually, Midway will have wrestling events under the UIL umbrella.
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