WHITEHALL – Great skill, strength and good health are necessary to become a four-time All-State wrestler.

For Whitehall senior wrestler Ira Jenkins. the strength and skill part have always been unquestioned, but health became an enormous question in the summer of 2021.

In June, Jenkins suffered a torn UCL in his right elbow during an offseason wrestling tournament.

At first doctors weren’t sure exactly sure how long Jenkins was going to be sidelined, but they expected him to be out until January at the earliest.

The immediate impact was missing the entire football season. As a defensive standout in his junior year, he had to watch as his teammates won the West Michigan Conference championship and made the state playoffs.

“It sucked to have to sit it out,” Jenkins said. “I went to all the football games and supported them. I’m proud of what they did, but it was something I missed for sure. But I lived with it and moved on.”

After that disappointment, Jenkins didn’t want to miss even a little bit of his final high school wrestling season. He rehabbed hard and got clearance to compete on Dec. 1, just on time for the start of the season.

“I’m lucky to even be getting a season right now,” Jenkins said. “They were saying I’d be lucky to get back within a month before districts. But the recovery and everything went really good.”

So far Jenkins, a defending Division 3 individual state champion, has not missed a beat on the wrestling mat. He is off to a great 11-0 record so far this season, with 10 pins that all came in the first period of the matches.

For his career he is currently 141-11 with 111 pins, 12 technical falls and two major decisions. That means Jenkins has easily won 125 of his 152 high school matches.

It doesn’t get much more impressive than that, which is why he is going to be wrestling on scholarship at the University of Michigan next year.

“I’m looking to do the same this year,” Jenkins about winning a second state championship, after taking the title in the 215-pound class last season. “It’s cool to be able to achieve what I have. I got third (152-weight class) and fifth (171-weight class) my first two seasons, which weren’t the goals, but I mean it’s part of the gig. You just have to grow and develop by learning from your mistakes. Last year I got the state championship, and it was cumulation of all my past work and everything, which showed.”

What’s really impressive is that Jenkins has remained so successful as he advanced from being a middle-weight freshman to a heavyweight senior.

In the ninth grade he wrestled at 152 pounds. This season he’s competing at 285 pounds, and routinely defeats much bigger guys, because he doesn’t weigh nearly that much.

“I was growing a lot every year,” said Jenkins. who currently weighs between 218 and 225. “But I still got that speed and stuff from the lower weight classes with me. It helps a lot.”

A jump in weight classes isn’t abnormal for wrestlers, but you don’t see many guys go from 152 to 285, according to Whitehall co-head wrestling coach Justin Zeerip.

“Most of the time kids do jump weight classes,” he said. “Guys get more mature and stronger, so it’s not that unusual, and it’s pretty rare to see a kid stay in the same weight class for four years. But for him, it’s been a big jump. I think he’s done it because he puts so much time and effort into the weight room.”

The weight room was a place of frequent visits for Jenkins as he worked to get back from his injury.

“I was able to do a lot of leg work and everything,” Jenkins said. “I had a month and a half of rebuilding my upper body, so the strength is still there. I’m just trying to keep growing and putting on weight.”

While focusing on his own comeback, Jenkins has also been mindful to push and encourage his teammates, who reached the state team semifinals last season and would like to have another great year.

“He’s a great leader,” said Zeerip. “He’s been in our room every day helping kids out and giving them tips here and there. All the kids look up to him, and he really sets the tone for us at practice.”

Two of Jenkins’ goals on the mat this season are to win a second straight individual state title, and finish his career by being a four-time All-Stater (which requires a top 8 finish).

Whether Jenkins win his second straight title or not, he’s hopeful he will leave a legacy at Whitehall that future wrestlers can look to for motivation.

“I want to make a lasting impression on this program and help everyone reach their goals along with the team goals,” he said.  “We all want to make sure our legacy keeps going on after we graduate. I’m glad to have been a part of this program and look forward to what we’re going to do this season.”