Must Read

[RTRBURN 15]

Here is a Nice Article back home of the view of a spectator who has never witnessed a Wrestling State Final.

You will recall that a few weeks ago I described my brief brush with the sport of wrestling when I was in junior high school. My recollections were a dismal delve into self-pity that led me to give up wrestling, in favor of … anything.
Had I the opportunity in those days to witness the 79th Annual Wrestling State Finals — an op-portunity that I enjoyed this past Saturday — perhaps my career as a wrestler would have been extended.
For those of you who require instant satisfaction, each mano a mano match is contested in three, two minute rounds — six minutes to victory. Four mats are used simultaneously, keeping the ac-tion fast and furious.
The Saturday night Finals are a spectacle. The wrestlers from each weight class are introduced individually under a bright spotlight in a darkened Bankers Life Fieldhouse. They meet their coaches on the promenade to the epicenter. The athlete’s accomplishments are read over the pub-lic address system, then the entire entourage moves forward, culminating when the two combat-ants shake hands at center mat.
I kept seeing Russel Crowe meeting Charlton Heston for a quaint wrestle-off.
When your match is complete, and before the next match begins, the wrestlers climb an eight tier podium to receive their medals, to the appreciation of everyone.
Let’s face it. The Indiana High School Athletic Association knows how to put on a show!
Wrestlers compete individually, though they score points for their teams. That means if you are having a bad day, you can’t count on a teammate to cover your shortcomings. At this level, you have to be on your “A” game, all of the time.
Our Montgomery County contingent of Tanner Webster (2nd Place) and Seth Johnson (4th Place) of North Montgomery, and Boone Welliever (3rd Place) of Southmont willingly met this challenge … and succeeded!
Put yourself in their shoes, if you will. Think back to when you were sixteen, seventeen years old. Picture yourself standing in front of 11,000 people in a wrestling singlet, in the spotlight, AND on statewide television. Then ask yourself to perform your very best.
All three of our county superstars did just that. But more so, they competed with the integrity and class that is a credit to their families, their coaches, and schools. All three fell a bit short of their overall goal, yet each accepted their defeat with a grace beyond their years.
Now picture, if you will, experiencing the biggest disappointment of your young life, and stand-ing before the media answering questions about your defeat.
Seth, the sophomore, calmly talked about getting better. Boone, who joined his father Jamie as a third place finisher, spoke proudly of succeeding for his father. Tanner, spoke not of coming oh-so-close, but of inspiring the younger wrestlers to great achievements.
In my last column, I suggested that wrestling builds strong men. Seth, Boone, and Tanner proved me right, and they have me wrestling with a decision I made a long time ago.