Hartselle’s Hunter Bradley gets the upper hand on his opponent in a K-2, 50-pound division wrestling match in a USA meet earlier this year. | Special to the Enquirer

Hunter Bradley’s favorite sport is wrestling. The number of ribbons and trophies on display in his Hartselle home can attest to that fact.

The Barkley Bridge Elementary School second grader captured three state trophies in 2012.

He is the reigning state USA wrestling champion in the K-2, 50-pound division with a record of 33 wins and nine losses. He also won the Southern Youth Wrestling Organization (AYWO) state championship in the K-2, 55-lb. division for the second year in a row and took the 3rd-4th, 55-pound division title with an unbeaten record of 34 wins.

Hunter has three years of wrestling experience under his belt. He took up the sport at age five and has never looked back. He says he can’t imagine participating in any other sport.

Hunter has a private coach, Ken Clark, and is a member of the “Grappling with Character” Wrestling Club in Madison. He and fellow club members practice three days a week for two hours and compete in tournaments throughout Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, usually on Saturdays. Their season extends from October through May and practice sessions are conducted from August through June.

Dana Bradley said her son had opportunities to try other sports but opted to stick with wrestling.

“The more he wrestles, the more he enjoys it,” she said. “His coaches tell us he has shown a lot of maturity and improvement over the past year. Eventually, he wants to wrestle at the high school and college levels.”

An “A” honor student, Hunter is the son of Dale and Dana Bradley of Hartselle. His sister is Addison, 5.

Hunter is shown with a state championship trophy and some of the other awards he has earned in youth travel team wrestling competition. | Special to the Enquirer