Austin’s Mike Cunningham joined Hayfield’s Derrick Klocke and Thad Pike in wrestling at the National Senior Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Wednesday, March 29, 2000

Austin’s Mike Cunningham joined Hayfield’s Derrick Klocke and Thad Pike in wrestling at the National Senior Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh, Pa. last weekend.

To be eligible for the national championships a wrestler must be a senior who wrestled in his state final.

Cunningham and Klocke both finished second at state at 145 and 125 pounds, respectively, while Pike was the Class A state champ at 140 pounds.

Cunningham finished 3-2 at the national championships.

He defeated one opponent by a 21-10 score and another 20-5, earning a technical fall three minutes into the match.

He was beaten by a four-time state champion from New Jersey and a three-time title holder from Virginia.

Klocke lost two matches and was eliminated early, while Pike went 2-2.

Austin wrestling coach Bill Kinney was one of the Minnesota coaches.

"Mike was one of the final 12 wrestlers at his weight," said Kinney, who applauded the efforts of the local trio. "They did a lot just to get into this tournament. It’s difficult to make it in, you’ve got to be one of the best in the state."

Minnesota carried more than 30 wrestlers to the national championships and finished eighth in the 47-team competition, which was won by Ohio. (Arkansas and Mississippi do not have prep wrestling; Hawaii does, but did not participate in the tournament.)

Cunningham is just the second Austin wrestler to take part in the national championships. Brad Fisher finished seventh at the tournament after winning his second state title in 1997.