In just one year, Kyle Brosius went from never placing at state into a wrestler who went 45-1 with a school-record 34 pins and Union's eighth state wrestling champion. (Nathan Howard/The Columbian)Photo Gallery
Union’s Kyle Brosius was a relative nobody in the wrestling world entering the 2019-20 season. A two-time state participant but never-placer, he emerged as Class 4A’s 170-pound champion, went 45-1 and finished with a school-record 34 pins.
Rare is it to see such significant transformation in a year’s time. So how did the Titan senior, and The Columbian’s All-Region Boys Wrestler of the Year, do it?
First, he credits his coaches (Kyle Bounds, Junior Godinho, Tyler Woolridge, Merle Crockett), his rivals (Camas’ Gideon Malychewski, Chiawana’s Tyson Stover) and past teammates (Danny Snediker, Tommy Strassenberg, JJ Talavera).
But ultimately, it was simple: Brosius started having fun on the mats.
“When I first started out, I used to always get beat up,” Brosius said. “If you’re getting beat up, you’re not having fun. As I started getting better, I started working on different parts of my technique. I started buying into the sport. … Now I look forward to having fun in practice. I didn’t get tired of it.”
Even after becoming Union wrestling’s eighth state champion (sixth boy), Brosius was eager to get back on the mats.
Only his team wasn’t around on Sunday, as they were helping with the state open tournament held every year at the Tacoma Dome the day following Mat Classic.
“I had to wait all the way until Tuesday and it killed me,” Brosius said. “If you have practice every single day, it’s a way to vent off the frustrations. So I was a little crabby at home.”
When he returned to his Southwest Washington Wrestling Club as a state champion, he was swarmed by inspired young grapplers. As someone who wants to give back to the community that helped him rise to the elite ranks of high school wrestling — either as a coach, teacher or firefighter — it was a welcome sight.
“I had five kids attacking me at once trying to take me down so they could say they took down a state champ,” Brosius said with a smile.
While Brosius always believed he had champion somewhere inside him, it wasn’t until his victory over Malychewski at the Pacific Coast Championships in December when his belief was confirmed. He earned a late takedown to secure a 7-6 victory over the defending 4A champion.
“That match woke me up and made me realize I was going to be a state champ,” Brosius said. “I knew it at that moment.” Two months later he was roaring in front of a packed Tacoma Dome crowd as a Mat Classic champion.
Rest of the All-Region boys wrestling team
CJ Hamblin, Seton Catholic
Sophomore won a 1A state title at 152 pounds, the second of his career. Ranked No. 1 entire season with just two defeats.
Levi Harms, Union
Junior was a 4A 220-pound runner-up at Mat Classic, the first medal of his career. Clark County and regional champ.
VA Ili, Mountain View
Senior earned a fourth-place finish at 182 pounds at Mat Classic. Regional and sub-regional champ.
Atticus Kurtz, Columbia River
Senior rallied to a third-place state finish at 170 pounds. Regional and Clark County champ.
Scott Lees, Washougal
Followed up runner-up finish with fourth-place state finish at 152 pounds. Regional and sub-regional champ.
Gideon Malychewski, Camas
Overcame knee injury to finish as 4A state runner-up at 160 pounds, year after winning 170-pound title. Sub-regional champ.
Noah Messman, Mountain View
Junior became Thunder’s first wrestling champion, winning at 132 pounds. Clark County, sub-regional and regional champ.
Denny Roa, Evergreen
Senior capped career with 3A 145-pound runner-up state finish. Sub-regional and regional champ.
Derick Soto, Kelso
The athletic 132-pound senior finished as 3A state runner-up, Ranked No. 2 behind champion Noah Messman all season.
Colby Stoller, Camas
Senior rallied for fourth-place Mat Classic finish at 220 pounds. Sub-regional and Rose City champion.
Jason Wilcox, Prairie
Junior finished as 138-pound state runner-up. Led Prairie to first league title. Sub-regional, Clark County, Pac-Coast champ.
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