As I breathed in the crisp and reassuring South Carolina air, I couldn’t contain my excitement for what was to come.  After more than a seven-month hiatus from competition, the opportunity to compete on the mat in the middle of a global pandemic had adrenaline pulsating from the tip of my head to the ends of my toes. Usually held in North Carolina, Super 32 is widely considered to be the best high school wrestling tournament in the country. With over 2,000 wrestlers hailing from 46 states, wrestling fans around the country would be holding the edges of their seats from the opening whistle. 

Firstly, however, the task of making weight remained. Although often deemed to be the most notorious and controversial portion of the sport, when performed safely I believe it teaches discipline, hard work, and impressive levels of dedication. With the weigh-in scheduled for six that night, a morning run in the hot October heat proved to be sufficient. The first day proved to be full of ups and downs, as two early wins were followed by a loss in the round of sixteen to nationally ranked Iowa State Commit Paniro Johnson. Thankfully, however, I was able to bounce back and defeat Harvard commit Evan Gleason to secure my spot in the top sixteen and make it to the second day.

Although I lost my first match on the second day, the weekend as a whole proved to be a great learning experience and give me a good taste of where I’m at. While I’m not yet where I want to be, to know I’m that close will provide a tremendous amount of motivation heading into these winter months. Along with my brother Ben, three other teammates from Hill competed at the event with Kelvin Griffin even bringing home a medal.