Senior Wrestler Frankie Ihnken Named West Of’s Athlete of the Week

Frankie Ihnken — mild mannered student by day, dominant wrestler by night. This week’s Athlete of the Week is a senior wrestler who has proven his natural ability and skills on the mat. Having been wrestling for the last 10 years, he’s finally earning the recognition he deserves. In a recent week’s match Ihnken pinned a student from rival Wando High School in less than a minute, adding a win to his record of 7-1 in just last week’s matches. However, his season record is 17-8, making him one of West Ashley’s best wrestlers.
Recently, Ihnken had two big conference wins against James Island and Wando high schools to make his region record 5-0, undefeated in the region, which makes him the number one wrestler going into the region tournament this week.
“Frankie has been working extremely hard this year and his efforts are paying off,” says WAHS wrestling coach, Bryan McNairy. “His senior leadership on the mat this year has been extremely good and I appreciate all his efforts.”
After his last semester at West Ashley High School, Ihknen plans to attend Trident Tech to study Business. After Trident, he hopes he can continue his education at the College of Charleston. He hasn’t decided whether or not he plans to wrestle in college. Ihknen says he would definitely do it if a scholarship opportunity arose.
In his free time, when he’s not wrestling, Ihnken likes to play lacrosse and surf. When asked what words of wisdom he lives by, Ihnken says: “Assumption is the mother of all mess ups.” He says he follows that advice every single day and in every single match so he never underestimates his opponents or any obstacle thrown at him.