On May 6th and 7th, five locals will travel to Salisbury, MD to compete in the 2023 Eastern National Wrestling Association Championship. To qualify for this honor, competitors had to place in the top four of all competitors in attendance in each of their corresponding weight and age brackets.
The five wrestlers heading to the MAWA Nationals are: Beau Havers (competing at 73 lbs/Bantam), Vanessa Snodgrass (competing at 46 lbs/Bantam Girls), Collin Havers (competing at 120 lbs/Juniors), Jordan Thompson (competing at 145 lbs/Advanced) and Kyle Keefe (competing at 177 lbs/Open).
“I feel really good about it. I see the culture of wrestling in Bradford changing,” said head coach Mark Havers about accompanying five of his private wrestling club’s members to the MAWA Nationals. “We are creating a winning culture here and all of the hard work our kiddos are putting forth continues to speak for itself day-after-day, week-after-week, and month-after-month.”
Mark Havers’ wife, Jessica Havers, handles most of the day-to-day work for the Havers’ Hammers Wrestling Club.
“I love seeing my husband pour his heart into a sport that he has been passionate about since he was little,” said Jessica Havers on how it feels to be helping her husband make his dream of continuing youth wrestling in the area come true. “It has really come full circle as our youngest son is the same age Markie was when he began his wrestling journey.”
The Havers’ Hammers Wrestling Club continues to grow and encourage participation.
“We are not just a wrestling program for youth. We are a family, a community. When you go to a tournament, you’re not just cheering for your kid,” said Katie Simonds, a mother of four participants at the club, all of which also attended state competitions this year. “You’re cheering for every kid in the program because you can see the drive and dedication, the work, the heart. You see all that they give day-in and day-out and you want them to succeed as much as your own child. A wrestling family is truly unique.”
“We are so excited for the continuation of this journey for these five Havers’ wrestlers,” said Mark Havers, “and appreciate all of the support our community continues to show for this program.”
