Sports Spotlight: Kyle Burwick

If you pay attention to high school sports in North Dakota, there are some student-athletes that we all know about, like Kyle Burwick with Hettinger-Scranton.

It's a family affair for the Burwicks.

"I've been wrestling since I was six," said Kyle.

A custom, in their house.

"I was kind of born into the tradition. Kind of the Burwick name influence," said Kyle.

And so far, it's paid off.

"You know hard work, dedication, commitment, perseverance, it just is something about the sport," said Kyle.

Kyle is now a senior at Hettinger-Scranton. He's going on his sixth year wrestling varsity, and nothing is slowing this kid down.

"When I was a seventh grader, and I was still really undersized, even at the lowest weight class I knew that, that didn't matter to me. You know, the only thing that mattered to me is how I competed on the mat," said Kyle.

Though Kyle first had a strong interest in playing football, it was wrestling that had a lasting impression on him.

"How I approached every single match, every single practice. I wanted to be the toughest guy out there," said Kyle.

Randy Burwick, Night Hawks head coach and Kyle’s dad, said, "I even asked my wife at one point, I said, 'I'm not sure he even likes this', you know, and it was a funny response, she goes, 'well, just give it time.'"

Time is all he really needed to love the sport. He's a four-time state champion with the Night Hawks, hoping to make this year number five.

"I go out there and I look at it every single year as an opportunity to go after it and attack a new set of goals. My goal when I step on the mat is, I write in my room every single day, 2019 state champion. So, you know, I go out there and I attack my goals every single day, and I just stay committed and stay dedicated to them," said Kyle.

"I think he's stepped into this season with probably a little more competitiveness and drive than he ever has," said Randy. And he's filled that role for a good reason. Once graduation rolls around in the spring, he'll take his talents on the mat, to the Division I level at Wisconsin.

"You know, I had always had the goal of wanting to wrestle at the highest level, and I love to be in that atmosphere, I love to be around those types of people," says Kyle.

"I can't wait. I just really truly can't wait to get that experience and I want to see him have that experience. I want to step back and be able to take it all in, let's just say it that way. And I think he's going to do well. No, I know he's going to do well," Randy added.

Needless to say, both father and son are looking forward to his next journey in Madison.