Two Pendleton Middle School students are making their marks in the wrestling world, working their way from one national competition to another.

Mason Todd, an eighth-grader, and Zach Wise, a seventh-grader, entered the Middle School State Championship staged by the Indiana State Wrestling Association (ISWA) on Feb. 10. Both qualified for the USA Wrestling National Middle School Duals in Danville, Ohio.

To qualify for this national competition, wrestlers must either place first or second in the state in their weight class or be one of the alternates. Mason placed first in the state for a second year in a row.

This was Mason’s third year to represent Indiana in the national Folkstyle competition. Coincidentally, this was the third year since the inception of the contest. During these three years, Mason has only lost one event.

“He’s had a great run,” said Curt Todd, Mason’s father. “In sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade he was on the nationals team and went 20-1. That was a big deal for him.”

Mason has the advantage of two older brothers who are heavily into wrestling, as well.

Chris, now 24, used to wrestle in state competitions at Conseco Fieldhouse and Matt, a junior at PHHS, was recently recognized as an all-state athlete due to his wrestling achievements.

“Chris used to beat up on Matt and Matt used to beat up on Zach,” the father of the three boys said with a laugh. “It does help to have those older brothers teaching you ahead of everybody else.”

When pressed, Todd admitted he wrestled when he was in school. The sport may just be in the blood.

“I’ve got a grandson who’s two and he’s already got a singlet,” said Todd. “He’s got headgear and does his little stance and gets out and wrestles with the boys.”

Although Mason is a veteran to the National Middle School Duals, this was Wise’s first year to be involved. Wise had, however, competed on the national level in elementary competitions.

“He loved it and thought it was a really neat experience,” said Chris Wise, Zach’s father.

“It felt good (to qualify) and it was really fun,” added Zach.

The sport has been handed down that family line as well, though not on purpose. Despite the fact Wise was an Arabian wrestler (1986 graduate), he says Zach stumbled into wrestling on his own.

“I wrestled when I was in school, but we had never talked about it,” he said. “They passed out a flyer one day and he thought it was something he wanted to try.”