The Jinxed Junior

When wrestling season began my junior year I weighed around 115 lbs. I planned to wrestle at 105 lbs. I had no desire to wrestle 98 lbs. again. Ten pounds was enough to cut.

I don't remember what I was thinking when the season began. I suppose I wanted to improve upon my disappointing sophomore year.

This time around I still didn't know how to lose weight properly. I began eating one meal a day at lunch time and was soon weak and hungry again. I got into the habit of drinking a diet pop every night after practice. It's funny how much I looked forward to that diet pop each night.

I believe I won the Valley Tournament, our first tournament of the season. At the South Winneshiek Tournament I'm not sure if I even placed. I wrestled the guy from Riceville who had beaten me at sectionals the year before and he beat me again.

I had to wrestle a guy by the name of John Ward from Waukon High. His brother had beaten me the last two years and now I had to wrestle him. John had pinned me at a pee wee tournament I think. But, this time we ended our dual meet match with a tie. My girlfriend went to Waukon High and was happy about the way the match had ended in a tie. That way her schoolmates wouldn't give her too much grief about it.

I had to wrestle John again at the Starmont Tournament for 3rd and 4th place. He beat me this time by a point I think. So, I had come a long way since our pee wee days. But, I was disappointed of course. Some one gave me a picture from a newspaper of John and me wrestling. I think the caption was, "Tops Him Twice." I threw it in the trash. I didn't want some picture reminding me of losing to John.

I developed a habit of eating very little all week long before a tournament. I would diet to the point where I was actually under my weight class. Then I would eat and drink something the night before competition. Not eating all week was worth it when I was able to eat and drink the night before a competition. I never had to go to bed thirsty that season which was a big improvement over the previous season.

I think I might have won the Elkader Tournament after Christmas break.

I had a close match against North Fayette in a dual meet and won by a point I believe. I beat Todd Grapes, a guy who had beaten back in junior high at a pee wee tournament. Next was the Conference Tournament.

I think I was seeded first or second at the Conference Tournament. I made it to the finals after beating Grapes again. Before my match with Grapes my coach took me out into the hall to give me a pep talk. He usually didn't do that but was worried about me getting into the finals. He said something like, "You're a damn good wrestler. Now I want to see you go out there and be aggressive and beat this guy." Thanks, coach. No pressure. I'm not sure that speech made me feel more motivated but I did win the match.

Just before finals began, the lights all went out. It had been extremely cold that day and I guess the power was knocked out. So, the finals were postponed until the following week. And, my girlfriend was mad at me because I had been ignoring her all day. Sorry, Jody.

We wrestled the finals the following week. I started out strong and got the first takedown easily. But, I ran out of gas and lost by a point or two. I was disappointed. I could have beaten him. I still had yet to win a conference title. A week or two later, I lost to him again by a point or two.

I won the Sectional Tournament which was held at our high school. The guy I beat in the finals I had beaten once earlier in the season. Being sectional champion was great. It was much better than the previous year's disappointment.

In the first round of the District Tournament I lost a close match. I had gotten the first takedown. During the second period I got a penalty point for some reason. So, I was leading 3-0 going into the third period. But, then he took down and I lost my focus. I didn't think I could ride him. I gave up a reversal almost immediately and then two back points. I lost 4-3 because I didn't have the energy and the mental toughness to wrestle hard for six minutes. I should have won that match easily but I just gave up.

In the second round I ended up wrestling the champion from the other sectional because the guy I had beaten in my sectional had surprisingly beat this guy. The guy I had to wrestle was the wrestler from Riceville who had beaten me twice before.

We had a close match that went into overtime. I managed to get a reversal in overtime to win the match. I had finally beaten the guy from Riceville.

I then got to wrestle back. I had to wrestle the same guy I had beaten in the sectional final. Easy, right? All I had to do to qualify for state was beat this guy I had beaten twice before. But, I knew it would be tough. I was tired from the overtime match. I was mad at myself for not winning that first round match. I lost that wrestle back match 9-0, I think. It was humiliating. It wasn't even close. I was never in the match. I place 3rd in districts. I wanted to throw the medal away. I thought of suicide. I had blown it again for a second year when it counted the most. I cried in the car on the way home.

Going into districts I was tired once again of cutting weight. Cutting weight always got to me the most toward the end of the season. I still wasn't strong enough physically and mentally to win the important matches toward the end of the season. I always ran out of steam. And, I developed bad habits. I would get ahead in a match and then take the down position in the last period and just sit there or maybe try to stand up. I would move enough not to get called for stalling but not try too hard to escape or get a reversal. So, in that first round match at districts when I had first choice I was upset. And, when my opponent chose down in the last period I just gave up.

You can't rest in a match. You have to be ready to wrestle hard the entire match no matter what position you are in. I deserved to lose that tournament because I gave up. Thus, my junior wrestling season came to an end. I settled for being a spectator at the State Tournament.