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Hall of Famer Karl Briggs instantly sent Western wrestling to championship status

AUBURN, MI – The Bay City Western wrestling tradition has flourished for 40 years.

And it all started with Karl Briggs.

Western was a brand new school for the 1973-74 school year, and there was no past, no tradition and no pride in place – until Briggs gave everybody in Warrior Country something to rally around.

In the very first season of wrestling for the Brown and Gold, Briggs brought home an individual wrestling state championship that instantly put the fledgling program on the map.

And each time he walks into that Western wrestling room – now at the age of 64 – he’s revered by the grapplers who are walking in his footsteps and dreaming of duplicating his feat.