By: Storm Bogs, Staff Writer
As he gets off the bus and walks into the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, he has a lot going through his mind such as “Will I place this year?” He’s worked so hard, and this is his last chance.
Austin Weisinger, senior at Marion, has wrestled all his years at Marion, but has qualified for state the past three years. He qualified as a sophomore and a junior but didn’t place. He placed 8th in the state this year. Austin says, “ It feels great [placing at state,] it’s a goal I really wanted to accomplish after qualifying the past two years..”
“My dad, who is also the wrestling coach has been my biggest influence while wrestling. I followed him when I was younger to tournaments. He placed at state in highschool so I wanted to do the same thing.
Austin says that “Wrestling is a sport that you have to put a lot into. You have to be self-motivated and dedicated. It may be tough at times, but at the end it’s very rewarding.” Austin figured that out for himself.
He walks off the mat, feeling great that he placed, but wishes he would have done better. His dad comes and pats him on the back, knowing he tried his hardest. He thinks about the great season he had and walks into the locker room to get ready to go home.
