- Grand Ledge wrestling team is having one of their best seasons in program history
- Grand Ledge senior Payton Burmeister didn’t start her wrestling journey till her junior year
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
This is just another day on the mat for Payton Burmeister, where two years ago she didn’t see this coming.
”The story behind it me wanting to start wrestling, I was doing boxing at the time I joked with my brother and said hey what if I did wrestling, he was like ok yes lets do it,”
Grand Ledge high school wrestling team is off to a 21-4 record this season. A big part of that success has been from the only female on the team.
Grand Ledge senior Payton Burmeister didn’t start her wrestling journey till her junior year, and while it was a challenge being the only female, she has now found her groove.
"It’s been fun, it was quite a challenge at first when I joined the team, I was really intimidated, wow I’m the only girl, there is. whole bunch of guys I’m sure they never had this,” Grand Ledge senior Payton Burmeister said.
Payton and her dad Lee wake up at 5am everyday for a morning lift and run and after being uncertain of her decision to wrestler. She has fallen in love with the grind and changed her mindset to being the best possible wrestler.
”My mentality was like I don’t know if I want to keep doing this, this is scary and really hard, now I am a senior I want to be the best,”
Head coach Mark Buckland, knew Payton was special, but what separated her from everyone else was her discipline.
”I said there is one thing you can do, it’s be more aggressive she did that on day one, she gets out there and attacks she has been really successful,” Grand Ledge Head coach Mark Buckland said
With one of the best seasons in program history Payton has her eyes on the prize.
”My own personal goals try and get to state’s and be a state champ this year I was a state qualifier last year, now I’m pushing myself to be a champion,”
”We are super excited to see where Alma takes her, the Alma program is growing, about two years old, so women's wrestling is really blooming into this big thing,” Paytin's mom Abbie Burmeister said.
Payton’s parents Lee and Abbie are thrilled Payton will be continuing her athletic and academic career at Alma college in the fall.
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