Recent grad Zachary Theisen joined wrestling when he was in just third grade. Going to his step brothers’ meets and messing around on the mats during the breaks really made him fall in love with the sport.
Moving up through his youth all the way until senior year he was able to grow really close to his teammates.
“While in high school as I grew older I always tried to make a bond with the younger kids because when I was a freshman or sophomore I knew how much I needed an upperclassmen as a mentor,” he said.
When met with a loss he was hard on himself, but he stood back up and went to practice.
“I just kept grinding and persevering to get better and go out there on a Thursday or Saturday to battle and pull out a win,” he said.
When he did get those wins, he felt on top of the world.
“It was always a good feeling to end the match with you getting your hand raised,” Zachary said. “It always makes it better to do it in front of your friends and family.”
Family was a big part of his love for the sport. His parents were very supportive and proud of Zachary.
“My parents were a big part of it because no matter how down I got on myself they both were right there to pick me up,” he said “They would never let me miss a practice.”
Through his nine years of wrestling he had to stay motivated. The way he did that was once again through family.
“My grandma, she was diagnosed with cancer when I was in eighth grade. After her passing away my sophomore year, that was all of the motivation I needed,” Zachary said. “She was my biggest supporter and inspiration. She was the most supportive person in my life growing up. I knew she would always be cheering me on.”
He then went on to be exactly what his grandmother knew he could be by being a two-time varsity letter winner, placing eighth in the Fondy Cardinal Classic, taking second at the Oakfield invite and taking fifth at the Escanaba Michigan invitational, and he would love to do it all again.
“If I got the opportunity I would drop everything to get another chance to lace up,” he said. “Greatness doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over time.”
