When I went to Hutchison, I had a feeling that I would win the Region III Conference wrestling meet. This meet was very important because it decides who does and doesn’t go to state. The top three of each weight class go, and I took first in my weight class.
My team was very inspiring to watch wrestle. As I would watch them wrestle, I would picture myself out on the mat wrestling. When one of my teammates would win I would get pumped up and get the adrenaline flowing. I would feel as if I could fly.
By my first wrestling match, my whole team had already wrestled and I was pumped up and ready to win. There is nothing longer then waiting for your match to come up next. It feels as if time has stopped and your stomach is full of butterflies. The referee blows the whistle and my match is up.
Dressing down, hands sweating, and my body is tingly. Going up to the front desk to check in, breathing heavily. Checked in, on the mat, the whistle blows and everything goes away but my opponent.
First round gone, next round about to start, feeling good, and the whistle blows once again. Everything is gone and all I see is my opponent. I wrap my leg around his and grab his head and arm. I put him on his back and the ref blows the whistle for the last time. I win by a pin.
With one win, I’m going to the championships. The championships are hours away and I am tired. I take a nap and try to pass time by. I wake up to the noise of the crowd cheering on the wrestlers. It is now four o’clock in the afternoon and I can’t wait to wrestle.
The consolation finals are done and they’re now rearranging the mats for the championship round. All the wrestlers line up on the mats with their opponent on the opposite side for a face off. The wrestlers run out to the middle and shake hands and then run off the mats. Waiting anxiously while it is my turn to go and shake my opponents hand felt like years. Now with minutes left until the first wrestler start wrestling. I am up and I go shake his cold sweaty hand.
The wrestlers start and all I can do is keep warm and be ready. First weight class is 103 lbs, then 112 lbs, then 119, and so on. I am a long way to the back in 189 lbs weight class.
Finally, 171 lbs weight class is up, the class before me. I can feel the cold sweat running down my back and feel my stomach full of butterflies, excited and the adrenaline flowing through my body. The whistle blows and it is time to wrestle. I dress down and put on my head gear, walk to the desk and check in. I walk to the middle of the mat shake my opponents hand and wait to begin wrestling.
The ref blow the whistle and there is no body else to lean on but me to win. My coach can yell out advice to me but it’s only up to me to win. Everything is riding on this moment. All that practice and sweat and tears was all for this moment, to wrestle in the championships at the regional wrestling meet. No reason to lose now. The crowd goes away, my teammates go away, everything is gone but my opponent. I take him down to the mat and get my favorite move in. One minute and 34 seconds into the first round of the championship match, I pinned him.
The first thing that goes through my mind is that I am the best in my region. The first person I look at is my coaches and my teammates. Everyone is cheering and excited for me. My heart is beating so fast I and hard I could feel it beating throughout all of my body. I run of the mat and give my coach a big hug. All my teammates come up to me and congratulates me.
All the wrestling is over and it is time for awards. Six of my teammates also got third and second place medals. Then it was time for me to go up and get my bracket and medal. There were a lot of flashing cameras. It made me feel famous. I go down and my team checks out my bracket and medal. The next award was the most outstanding wrestler. Once again my heart pounding, they called out a tie. First they said the 160 lbs wrestler and then they said my name. I went up and had to do rock, paper, scissors for the plaque. I won the plaque to take home, and then they would send the other wrestler a plaque also.
Awards were over and now there was time for dinner and a movie. The rest of the night was just perfect. I got nice and full and went to relax in a movie theater, waiting to go back to Galena and prepare for state. I was satisfied with how I did this weekend.