Out of the pool of many division contenders, a select group of boys emerged as the formidable qualifiers for the 3A State Wrestling Tournament. 

Daegan Herren, state qualifier on the Cowboys Wrestling Team, said, “Wrestling has taught me discipline, perseverance, and the importance of hard work. Through countless hours of training and conditioning, I have learned to push myself beyond my limits and never give up. The physical demands of the sport have taught me the value of taking care of my body and the importance of proper nutrition and rest. Wrestling has also taught me the importance of mental toughness and the ability to stay focused and composed under pressure. Overall, wrestling has been a valuable teacher, shaping me into the young man that I am today”

Isaac Sturtz, state qualifier on the Cowboys Wrestling Team, said, “It has taught me how to push myself past my limits. It has also taught me about discipline. For Division and State I just didn’t overthink it and went into it as if it were any other tournament. Wrestling has affected me by just making me tough and all the memories will be with me for the rest of my life.”

Wrestling is tough on not only your mind but also on your body. The Cowboys have pushed through many challenges throughout the year whether it be mental or physical.

Jax Allred, state qualifier on the Cowboys Wrestling Team, said, “Wrestling has taught me that everything you want has to be earned. The way I got ready for division was to make sure I am in the right mental state. Staying positive, staying on top of school, and everything like that. I am going to apply myself and do the same things leading up to state. I think it gives me the best shot and that is exactly what we need. Wrestling has affected me in more ways than just keeping me healthy, it has taught me how to be a much better person, son, friend, and anything along that line.”

A majority of the boys on the team had gotten injuries throughout the year, and some of the injuries were from the division tournament just two weeks prior. They had to push through practice every day to get ready for the State Tournament. 

Keagan Sheffield, state qualifier on the Cowboys Wrestling Team, said, “I didn’t qualify for State last year because I injured my knee two weeks before division. I wasn’t able to go to JV state because of my injury either. After that, I worked on technique as much as possible to become better at getting myself out of bad situations. It was an amazing feeling to go to State with my team, and I hope to do it again next year.”

With three alternates the Cowboys qualified 18 boys for State. Last year they qualified 16 boys and took sixth place as a team with 106.0 team points.

Ben Calchera, state qualifier on the Cowboys Wrestling Team, said, “Wrestling has taught me about realizing my own potential. I got ready for divisions by just realizing if I do my best that’s what matters. To get ready for state I am focusing on little things to improve upon. Wrestling has effected my confidence, my friendships, my accountability, and my perseverance.”

Wrestling has affected the teams mentality and they had to learn how to control it. The team went through a process of hypnotherapy to learn how to manage their mindsets. Throughout the mindset training they learned how to manage their thoughts, and force the negativity out of their minds.

Zach Powell, state qualifier on the Cowboys Wrestling Team, said “I took several mind management sessions, listened to audios, and worked hard at practice.”

A few of the boys have wrestled in the little league, but the majority of the team started to wrestle at the high school level. The team has had a spring season team and summer practices for everyone who wanted to come and improve.

Ryker Jones, state qualifier on the Cowboys Wrestling Team, said, “Wrestling has taught me Perseverance and endurance and it has given me the will to not give up. It has given me a better mindset, and it has made me stronger. Wrestling has effected me so much. It’s giving me a better mindset and will to push through hard things. Physically it’s made me more coordinated and stronger. I can do things that I used to not be able to do.”

The Cowboys were in first place after the first day of Division. By the end of the second day they had dropped to fifth place with 134.0 points.

Jake Phillips, coach of the Cowboys Wrestling Team, said, “We progressed pretty quickly from the start of the year. I think we were still trying to find who we are as a team. We had to work through some confidence issues and as the boys continue to get more matches they wrestle better and better. I believe that we started to peak at the right time and I believe we are wrestling really well.”