Junior Wrestler Brayden Wenrich had quite a remarkable summer. Brayden competed in THe USMC Junior & 16U National Championships in Fargo, North Dakota—commonly known simply as "Fargo." This tournament is widely regarded as the premier high school wrestling tournament in the nation. Attending and competing at Fargo is a defining milestone for high school wrestlers, as it brings together thousands of top-tier athletes from across all 50 states to contend for national titles in Freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines. Brayden not only competed but was the 120-pound Champion! Brayden commented on his experience below:
What did your summer training schedule look like leading up to the tournament, and how did you mentally prepare for competing against top national talent?
My summer training looked a little different this summer than in past summers. I still trained at my wrestling club, Grit, but I also took trips to RTCs (post-college training centers), so I spent time at Iowa University, NC State, and Rutgers. This helped me get ready because training with college guys really helped me jump levels. I mentally prepare for tough competition by just training against really good guys in practice.
Was there a specific moment or match during the tournament where you realized you could go all the way and win the championship?
In my quarterfinal match, I think I realized I was wrestling well enough to win because in that match I was losing at the halfway point 3-2, but I was able to get to my offense and finish in the second half of the match and win 10-6.
What lessons have you learned on the wrestling mat that help you succeed in the classroom?
Wrestling has taught me that if you work hard, you will get good results, and I think that translates to school also.
How does winning this championship shape your goals for the upcoming high school wrestling season and your future career?
Winning Fargo helped me with my goals because now I can compete in a big event that is called Who's Number 1, where the number 1 and 2 guys in the country wrestle to determine who is number 1, and winning Fargo was able to put me in that. Winning Fargo also gave me the number 1 ranking in the country, which helps me with recruitment for my future.
Best of luck to Brayden as he will travel to Oklahoma State University at the end of September in the Who’s Number Showcase.
