BILLINGS — In two weeks Billings Skyview sophomore Chris Grossman will take aim at a Class AA state wrestling title inside First Interstate Arena at MetraPark, as he hopes to wipe away the memories of a runner-up finish last year.
Grossman’s loss came to Billings West’s Zach Morse, who is the only Montana wrestler aiming to join the four-time champions club in 2025.
“I lost to a kid I shouldn't have," Grossman said. "When I lost I figured the season was over and there was nothing I could do about it. The whole offseason I wrestled, did freestyle and Greco and just grinded."
“He matured by also realizing that wrestling is not just an individual sport but also a team sport," Skyview head coach Jon Verlanic said. "He's done a better job of building up the people around him, especially the freshmen, showing them the ropes. Even though he's a sophomore, he feels like a senior in our wrestling room."
Grossman isn’t kidding when he said he went to work. He spent the summer traveling around the country competing against some of the best America has to offer.
“I went to the U.S. Open, Fargo (N.D.), Northwest Regionals and Regionals, all the big ones. I kind of got my butt kicked in some of them," Grossman said.
The grind doesn’t end when he leaves the wrestling room. Grossman has an older brother, Devin, that’s a senior on the Falcons team and an eighth-grade brother in Hardin, so they have their share of battles at home.
“When I take Devin down, sometimes it goes into fists. Most of the time he beats me up pretty good," Grossman said. "My little brother, I have to go easy on him kind of, but he's getting a lot better. Seeing him out there, it puts a smile on my face."
Grossman hopes his maturation and dedication lead to state wrestling gold in two weeks.
