State Wrestling

Here is our state team

When district wrestling was done, we had a long, 4 hour drive home.  Owen rode the bus; Nick opted to ride with me.  He had been there since Thursday with the head coach for seeding meetings. Gracie arrived at home a few hours before us.  She had softball practice in KC and rode with a teammate, so was unable to watch Owen. Sunday was a pretty uneventful day.  I went to watch tennis and Gracie joined me for a couple hours before she had to come home to go to basketball practice.  Owen stayed home and recovered from the day before.  Two more practices before state competition began.

What a week!  I didn't see Owen much after Monday.  They had practice as usual, but Gracie had a basketball game added, so I went to Odessa to watch her play.  It was a pretty late night for her.  Owen went to school on Tuesday, then left for practice in Columbia right after school.  The girls team stayed in Columbia that evening, but the boys were allowed to go home and sleep in their own beds before leaving the next day.  The team rented a house in Columbia for all the kids to stay in on Wednesday.  We went to watch boys basketball play again in the evening, then headed home around 9:00pm.  Owen didn't have to go to school at all on Wednesday and they left at 10am to head to their house and get settled in.  Boys wrestling did not start until 6pm, but they went to watch the girls at noon.

Bus is decorated!

Waiting to leave

We didn't have a lot of time, so had to work quickly.

I went to work per usual, but left around 12pm to watch the girls.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to go back to work at all, and I ended up staying at the arena for the entire afternoon/evening.  Gracie was released from school at 11am I think, and ran home in between sessions to let Ruby out and feed her.  She was almost late for the boys' grand march.

After warm-ups and getting ready to clear the mats.

Now that I'm looking at this... sure looks like Bryce in the blue robe.

Walking in with his weight class.

Sixteen kids from each weight class = 224 athletes competing

Here they are.

Not sure who Owen is chatting with here.

I found Nova during the girls session!

Gracie came to support.

This was after Nova's first win.

I'm not sure which match this was (possibly Nova's), but Nick is coaching this year at state instead of officiating.  So much change from a year ago.

What a day... emotional roller coaster.  So much excitement to be at the state tournament, anxiety about the outcome of competing, and anticipation mixed in.  Owen had very high expectations for himself and after losing in the first round, would had a long road to get the next best thing.

About to start his first match

Ready.

Owen got the first points in his match and almost had a pin, but not quite.

Nick and Bradley coaching Owen's match

another pick of Owen on top

Owen on top

He didn't have quite enough and was down 7-10 in the 3rd.  He went for a takedown to tie it up, and didn't get it, losing 13-7.  He went for it, though.

Next match

We were lucky that his next match was on a mat pretty close to where we were sitting.

Cheslea Newham was sitting pretty close and got a few good pics as well.

Back points

Pulling it in.  Owen got the pin here to win a match at state.

Needed to win one more match to make it to day 2. 

After his pin.

Congrats from coaches after winning.

Different perspective from Cheslea.

On to the next one.

Third match

Owen fought hard, was almost pinned, but managed to get off his back.  He started down in the 3rd period and was down 14-1.  He couldn't get up, but also did not get turned.  He kept fighting until the clock ran out.

And just like that... the experience is done.

I'm sure the emotions and disappointment will linger for awhile, but hopefully it will be fuel for the next season.  I am so proud of Owen for making it this far, but I know he is not satisfied and had much higher expectations for himself this year.  Physically and emotionally drained, coming up short of your goals, and coping with an outcome that is not what you expected or wanted.  I didn't see Owen at all after he left the girls' session until after he was done. It took him awhile to come up after his loss.  Ironically, he came out of the stairwell with Bryce, who had been upset earlier in the day during his quarterfinal match.  Both were not happy, but Bryce was still in it, wrestling back to 3rd. (He ended up pinning all of his opponents except the match he lost.)  The opportunity never presented to get a picture of them together.  I was a little disappointed, but trying to be respectful of their mental states.  Owen was much more upset than I anticipated and took the loss pretty hard.  UGH...  I just want to make it better, but it's completely out of my control.

After the first day, Grant was the only one on the boys team still in it, wrestling in the semi-finals the next day.  We also had one girl still in it, but Nova had lost 2 matches during her session, so she was also done. Grant ended up winning his semi-final, making it to the finals.  He came up little short of a state title, finishing 2nd.  He did amazing and left everything he had on the mat.  Owen drilled and warmed up with him on the final day of competition, and then watched with his teammates.

I'm adding this photo, (taken by Shawley) to try to illustrate every emotion after a loss.  This picture says so much without any words.

Nova after her loss

Coaches behind her, also feeling it.

One of my favorite passages is The Man in the Arena (Theodore Roosevelt).  I didn't know this quote until it was presented to me by Scotta Morton in one of the freshmen college courses for student-athletes that I was helping with.  It is altered to "woman" in the arena when working with girls.  These athletes put all they have into what they are doing and have such high expectations for themselves.  It takes such courage to make yourself that vulnerable, have belief in yourself, then come up short.  That is what Roosevelt's message explains.  It is far better to put yourself out there and fail, than to not try at all.  This picture illustrates every word of that passage.  Daring greatly, coming up short, knowing the full range of emotions from the very highest of highs, to the lowest of lows, doing it in front of hundreds/thousands of "critics" or spectators who have never truly known what this feels like.  I certainly haven't.  I only know what I see in their faces and body language after the exhilarating victory or debilitating defeat.  There are far more athletes who experience what this picture shows, than the high of winning it all.  But they keep doing it.  Chasing their dreams.  I hope they never stop.