By Mitch Depoy

When it comes to sports, some kids enjoy the team aspect of them.  The old saying is that you win and lose as a team, although in wrestling that statement can’t be true.  For sophomore wrestler Keller Penrod that statement is backwards. 

“I enjoy wrestling because you are the only one on the mat, if you win, you can take all the pride and if you lose it’s all on you,” Penrod said.

            This year Penrod is on the HHS wrestling team for his 2^nd year.  “I have been wrestling since 6^th grade,” Penrod said.  He has very found memories of his first year of wrestling,  “I won my very first match in 6^th grade,” Penrod said.  From then on he was hooked.  For Penrod it helped a lot to get the first win that he started his career on, and gave him that extra drive to continue on.

            Now, when you look at him you wouldn’t think that he is much of a wrestler.  Standing and 5’5 and 109 pounds he is one of the smaller guys on the mat most times.

  “I wrestle the 103 weight class,”  Penrod said.  He is also having one of his better seasons through-out his 5 year stint as a wrestler.  “Right now I’m 9 and 1,”  Penrod said.  With his only lose coming against a kid from Tabb in his last tournament. 

            Wrestling also takes a certain state of mind.  “Wrestling is a very hard sport, and I would consider it the hardest sport in the school,”  Penrod said.  With practices everyday, it gets very tiring.  “We do lots of running, and the workouts are the hardest parts,”  Penrod said.  Also, the coaches are very tough on the wrestlers.  A typical practice in the day of a wrestler is some partner drills.  “Sometimes we have to get one of our teammates on our back and carry them down and back the length of the mat,”  Penrod said.  There is also lot’s of running involved.

            As for Penrod’s favorite part about wrestling, it would have to be winning.  “I love getting on the mat and pinning someone down to get a win,”  Penrod said.  He also loves to wrestle at home.  “My favorite meet is the Harrisonburg Tournament, it’s a blast to wrestle at home and fun to see everyone come out and cheer us on,”  Penrod said.