King of the Mat: Gaylord's Brayden Gautreau leads Record-Eagle Dream Team as Wrestler of the Year

James Cook and Jordan Puente, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
Updated ·6 min read

Apr. 23—GAYLORD — Gaylord senior Brayden Gautreau is showing kids in the area that anything is possible if you apply yourself. And that includes being named the Record-Eagle Wrestler of the Year, an honor Gautreau earned for the 2022-23 season.

When Gautreau was a kid, he said he couldn't have imagined being where he's at now.

"I was a pretty fat kid. I didn't do a lot of sports," Gautreau said. "I was that kid who was a nerd that would stay inside and play video games, but I started to wrestle in fourth grade."

Gautreau said it changed his life.

"It got me in shape because I would've had some health conditions moving the way I was moving back then," he added.

Gautreau capped off a heck of a wrestling career at Gaylord High School, finishing his final season going 52-1 with his only loss coming against Marquette.

His coach, Jerry LaJoie, said he was happy to see him suffer a loss because it became a learning opportunity.

"When he started to get good, he would get frustrated when he would lose," LaJoie said. "I remember talking to Brayden and telling him the rule of 1,000. You have to do a move a thousand times before you never have to think about it.

"He started to do the math, and you can see him go through it. Once Brayden bought into that whole mantra, it was good to see him progress."

Gautreau never lost again, snatching a Division 2 First-Team All-State nod, capturing his second straight D2 state championship, and getting himself a scholarship to wrestle at Central Michigan University. His domination of the mat this season is what earned him Wrestler of the Year honors.

"My parents have played a huge role in getting me here," Gautreau said of winning the Record-Eagle award. "When it's summertime, and you can't practice at school, my dad drives me to St. John's — which is two hours each way. They put in the time to help me get better."

Gautreau also dapped up his fellow Blue Devil, Louden Stradling.

"He does a great job pushing me and everybody on the team," Gautreau said.

Gautreau gets reminded of his younger days by his coach. In some of LaJoie's speeches to the team, he points out Gautreau by telling the team he wasn't supposed to be on the team because he wasn't good.

"He never thought I would've made it, because I never thought I would either," Gautreau said.

LaJoie knew Gautreau when he was young and saw him get beat by everyone. When Gautreau took wrestling seriously, everything changed. LaJoie now considers the senior one of the best wrestlers in the state.

"That's what I love about the sport of wrestling. You don't have to have God-given talent as long as you work hard and have discipline," LaJoie said.

The All-Stater applies discipline to his dieting and exercise. His diet consists of two eggs for breakfast, grilled skinless chicken, rice and vegetables for lunch and dinner every day.

Solid nutrition along with that strong discipline on and off the mat has helped him outlast his opponents and be quick on his feet. It also has kept him on track for the U20 World Team Trials tryouts this summer in Ohio.

"It's been an expectation with Gaylord. The standard of being in the room is you are going to go out and win. It's always been shoot for the next biggest thing," Gautreau said. "Once you win this title, you are just going for the next step up."

Gautreau added if he doesn't make the team, he'll try out again in Fargo, North Dakota.

When Gautreau isn't cutting weight or training, he's at home playing video games or outside hunting or fishing.

DREAM TEAM

Abby Wildfong, Mancelona, So., 105, 29-11

Jaron Bensinger, Gaylord, Fr., 106, 42-9

Tyler Sheeran, TC St. Francis, Jr., 113, 30-5

Bella Crompton, Frankfort, Fr., 115, 27-2

Anna Beers, TC West, Fr., 115, 24-13

Cambrie Lawrence, Benzie Central, Jr., 125, 24-8

Gavyn Meerchent, Kingsley, Jr., 126, 41-1

Maveric Hoffert, Cadillac, Fr., 126, 36-4

Landen Pangborn, Benzie Central, Sr., 132, 45-7

Jon Pearson, Kingsley, Jr., 132, 34-6

Jacob Gillison, Benzie Central, Jr., 138, 40-9

Jon Palmer, TC West, Sr., 138, 44-16

Brady Slocum, TC Central, Jr., 138, 40-8

Josiah Schaub, TC St. Francis, Sr., 138, 34-4

Louden Stradling, Gaylord, Sr., 144, 47-0

Brendan Swiss, Petoskey, So., 144, 38-6

Justin Grahn, Kingsley, Sr., 144, 32-7

Dutch Ballan, TC Central, Sr., 144, 21-3

Trevor Swiss, Petoskey, Sr., 150, 43-0

Tyrone Brouillet, Benzie Central, Jr., 157, 44-10

Kyan Fessenden, Kingsley, Sr., 165, 37-1

Cael Katt, Benzie Central, Sr., 165, 38-13

Makayla Gowell, Manton, Jr., 170, 22-6

Brayden Gautreau, Gaylord, Sr., 175, 48-1

Brady Jess, Charlevoix, So., 175, 46-3

Landon Swanson, Charlevoix, Jr., 190, 40-6

Ty Bensinger, Gaylord, Jr., 190, 36-4

Sam Goethals, Kingsley, Sr., 190, 33-5

Riley Hush, Gaylord, Jr., 215, 20-2

Trevor Streeter, Charlevoix, Jr., 215, 46-3

Remy Soper, TC Central, Sr., 215, 36-5

Caiden Sides, Gaylord, So., 285, 37-9

Logan Malonen, Grayling, Jr., 285, 45-3

Ethan Morgan, TC St. Francis, Sr., 285, 29-8

Coach: Josh Lovendusky, Benzie Central

SECOND TEAM

Ava Pike, Manistee, So., 100, 19-16

Summer Cook, Manton, Jr., 100, 25-16

Dayne Gillison, Benzie Central, Fr., 106, 28-15

Chloe Colton, Manton, Sr., 110, 28-16

Sunni LaFond, Gaylord, So., 110, 27-14

Ben DeRidder, Benzie Central, So., 113, 29-16

Michael Risinger, TC Central, Fr., 113, 20-12

Mandy Andrews, Grayling, Jr., 120, 20-10

Kennedi Wahmhoff, Manton, So., 130, 28-10

Colette Emery-Nickerson, Lake City, So., 130, 16-25

Robert Patrick, Petoskey, So., 132, 34-12

Cameron Dundas, Kingsley, Jr., 132, 31-12

Grady Rousse, TC Central, Fr., 132, 25-11

Isaac Grahn, Kingsley, Sr., 138, 26-15

Owen Cruden, Benzie Central, Jr., 144, 38-15

Trapper Holmes, TC West, So., 144, 26-17

Dalton Geetings, Benzie Central, Jr., 150, 37-14

Landon Maddox, TC Central, Fr., 150, 24-14

Mason Cunningham, Charlevoix, Sr., 157, 26-17

Zane Willobee, Gaylord, Fr., 157, 32-10

Caleb Bott, Kingsley, Jr., 165, 23-12

Michael Pfeiffer, Benzie Central, Jr., 175, 37-16

Max Goethals, Kingsley, Jr., 175, 18-6

Lane Sanchez, Benzie Central, Fr., 190, 33-17

Liam Jones, Benzie Central, Sr., 215, 29-12

Abigayle Dahl, TC West, Fr., 235, 14-15

Ray VanDyke, Kingsley, Sr., 285, 32-12

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