By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
Lafayette junior and standout wrestler Jay Greiner is at it again. Having a special season and forging a bath back to the state meet.
Greiner is a perfect 51-0 this season and has amassed 153 wins in his illustrious career, which includes silver medals at state in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
An MEC champion and now an all-city champion this season as well, Greiner has his sights set on bigger goals as postseason wrestling looms in February.
"It's incredible," Greiner said on his progress so far this season, wrestling at 152 pounds. "I'm so excited. Especially coming into this postseason. Everything coming together, it's going to be so much fun, I promise."
Greiner had little trouble claiming his second consecutive city championship Thursday, as he pinned Benton's Christian Stewart in just 13 seconds and had an open match in the next round, becoming one of nine Lafayette wrestlers to win a city title.
"I was so happy," Greiner said Thursday. "I saw an opening quite early and took it and it happened to be a success."
Greiner helped the Lafayette boys' wrestling team claim their first city championship in two decades.
"It's incredible," he said. "The hype we could feel from our corner the entire time. It's a big deal to us. It may not be grand state level, but to us, it's very important."
Irish head wrestling coach Joshua Walters says Greiner is wrestling better than he's ever seen.
"He is on another level right now," Walters said proudly. "I have never seen that kid wrestle as good as he's wrestled. He's been winning a lot, but his mentality, his shape right now, everything is where it needs to be to take a state title. And that's where we're headed. And that's where we're going."
Greiner went 52-2 as a sophomore last year, winning a sectional championship. The Irish will wrestle with numerous area teams in the Benton tournament on Saturday.
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