Lakewood 8th Grader Wins District Wrestling Title

LAKEWOOD, OH — Muimyan Salti had a remarkable weekend. The Garfield Middle School 8th grader, and wrestler, won the 176-pound title at the Ohio Athletic Committee District tournament and punched his ticket to state competition.

For much of the year, Salti wrestled at the 205 weight class. He was the Southwestern Conference champ at that weight, Cooper said, and had a record of 29-3 this year. However, Salti's opponents typically outweighed him by 15 to 20 pounds, so he dropped down to the 176-pound class for the district tournament.

Salti thought going down a weight class would give him a new challenge, Cooper said.

"This pretty much sums up Muimyan’s attitude toward wrestling. He actively seeks out a challenge and wants to wrestle the toughest kids he can because he knows it will make him a better wrestler. It’s a lot of fun to coach him because he is more concerned with improving as a wrestler than he is with wins and losses," Cooper noted.

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Salti is a team captain that is known for his commitment to working hard and expending maximum effort, according to his wrestling coach Gray Cooper.

"He pushes his teammates to get better and constantly leads by example. Furthermore, his work ethic and effort are not limited to the wrestling room as he currently carries a cumulative GPA of 3.89," Cooper said in an email to Patch.

During the district tournament, on Feb. 17, Salti proved how good of a wrestler he is. He reigned supreme at the tournament and claimed his weight class' title.

Salti will next wrestle again on March 16 and March 17 in Youngstown when he vies for the Junior High State Championship in his weight class.

Photo from Lakewood City Schools