The 2 E's

Yesterday was both exhilarating and exhausting.

I've blogged before about Dalton and wresting. Every year from November - February our house is pretty consumed with this incredibly intense sport. From the daily 2.5 hour workouts, to the early morning bus rides to the tournaments every weekend, to the obsession about weight control, to the packing your pre, post and during food consumption during a match/tournament...it's just plain intense, almost nerve wracking to some degree.

I love my son...I mean I LOVE my son!!! BUT...I do not love the daily mantra of wrestling drama ~ "what should I eat today" or "what do you think would be healthy for me but not put on weight" or "Do I have everything packed that I need, " of which my usual response is either "I don't know, what do you want to eat or I've told you many times what is healthy now it's your turn to decide or you're the one wrestling you should know what to pack!" I mean come on, he is a senior this year and I can only do so much to help him with stuff I've already helped him with for years. EXHAUSTING!

Well yesterday he participated in an annual wrestling tournament - the Brian Hill Memorial Tournament 2009. 17 schools entered this tournament for competition. The gym was filled with people, 4 mats of constant wrestling, whistles blowing, timers beeping ~ enough to make the head spin. Tournament play is basically like this ~ everyone is guaranteed 2 wrestling matches. If you win your first match, you go onto the next one. If you lose your first match, you are dropped into the loser bracket and have another chance to continue on in the tournament. It's 2 losses and you are eliminated. A match has 3 possible outcomes - pin the opponent, win the match by most points, or of course a forfeit is automatic.

So Dalton's first match ended in 1 minute 13 seconds with a pin (bottom line fold the other guy up into whatever position you want as long as both his shoulders touch the mat). He moved on to the second match where he pinned his opponent in 1 minute 27 seconds. WOW - 2 pins in a row...I was absolutely beaming proud. Here's a picture from his second match (PD is the one in black/red on top.)

I thought to myself "could he possibly go for 3 pins?". Well, his 3rd match was a semi-final round which means if he wins he goes on to wrestle for 1st/2nd place and if he loses he wrestles off for the 3rd/4th position. Can you guess what happened? If you guess win you are correct - not only win but yet another pin in 1 minute 27 seconds (yes the same time as the one before). He made it, oh my goodness he's wrestling off for 1st/2nd position. Dalton has never won a tournament. He won District last year but that's a qualifying match - not quite the same as a tournament.

So...final round the guy he is to wrestle is from Skyline - a tough competitor. The opponent I will say has a sort of caulky walk to him. He had also pin his previous matches (though it took him more time to do it than Dalton) and it showed all over his body language. At this point I am a nervous wreck. Not sure if I should throw up or pee. I have camera in hand and am ready to hold it steady. Whistle blows and Dalton takes off like a shot ~ folds the guy up like a pretzel and pins him in 39 seconds -winning 1st place!!! Oh My GOSH!!! His opponent literally looked dazed, like he wasn't sure what hit him. All he could say when Dalton went up to him and said "Good match buddy" was "WOW, that was umm fast!" Darn right, 39 seconds fast!!! I couldn't believe it - it was a perfect score - 4 pins in a row. Can you say EXCITING.
(I have a video I will post of this match but I am technically not that savvy to figure out how to take it off our camera so it will go up later.)

I am so totally proud of this fine young athlete that I am privileged to call my son.

P.s. FIREGIRL I would love to see your blog but I don't have access. Can you email me at ruth@thinkfluidly.com?