So far this season wrestler Sam Ritchie has an impressive 23-1 record. Ritchie has been on the varsity wrestling squad since every year of high school. He has made it to the state tournament every year. However so far he has not taken home a medal.

“In previous years he’s started the season really good and then he’s always one of the top ones in the state,” Said Varsity Wrestling Coach Chris Brown. “But then in the big tournament he would lose the match to win the medal or one of the really big matches that he was capable of winning.”

Even though he’s been unable to do so in the past, this year Ritchie hopes that he will be able to turn things around and bring home a medal at state.

“Last season I was really close to getting a state medal but all in all thats whats gonna motivate me this season to do my best to get a state medal,” Ritchie said. “I think that I have a very good chance of making it to the state finals if not be the state champ this year.”

Ritchie had been around the sport of wrestling his whole life. He’s been working for a long time to be able to be at his best.

“He’s been wrestling forever and his dads his coach.” Sam’s practice partner, Kaleb Bell said. “I mean it comes from himself to though to, he really gets after it.”

Ritchie has been putting in work and pushing himself particularly hard for this year. He’s hoping that these extra steps will be what he needs to keep the season going the way it has been.

“All the extra work I put in during the summer, wrestling with my off season team and lifting weights and stuff like that,” Ritchie said. “Thats the key to success really, is what you do in the off season and I definitely did a lot in the off season.”