For the past four years, senior Mathew Nowak has

given his blood, sweat, and tears to the sport of wrestling

in hopes of leaving a lasting mark at Shores.

"It is a hard sport, the hardest I have ever done," Nowak said. "Not everyone can wrestle, and it takes serious sacrifice to be good, but when all the hard work pays off, it is an awesome feeling."

That hard work paid off for Nowak, as he was a first-time conference champ and a regional qualifier.

At the OK Black meet on Feb. 4 at Kenowa Hills, Nowak captured the conference title, crushing his competition.

"It is a relief; I have been close to winning the conference championship for the last two years," Nowak said.

Joining Nowak as conference champ was senior Nick Hendricks, who led the team throughout the year but ended a remarkable 26-5 season with a surprising loss at districts.

"It felt good to win the conference title for Shores; it was a big accomplishment for my senior season," Hendricks said.

At districts, a number of Shores wrestlers met heartbreak as only Nowak and sophomore Taylor McPhail were able to advance to regionals.

"Finally getting to the regional tournament was a good way to end my senior season," Nowak said. "It made me feel like all of my hard work and sacrifice over the years has paid off."

While this marked Nowak’s first showing at the regional tournament, McPhail made the trip last year too.

"Being able to go to the regional meet felt good; I wasn’t as nervous this time around because I knew what to expect," McPhail said.