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So THIS is why Nick Lee is skipping his senior year...


maligned

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Nick Lee is the only high schooler in America registered for this weekend's senior world team trials for the 2 non-Olympic weights per style (free, greco, women's).  (Mario Mason listed as a high schooler, but it's an error.)

 

http://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/registration/TournamentList.jsp?TIM=1478350996433&twSessionId=rhshnxjdadqbhgy&tournamentGroupId=238251009&xIndex=0&firstNameBox=&lastNameBox=&stateBox=&teamBox=&ccSubmittedBox=&paymentReceivedBox=&tournamentBox=O_1141094&divisionBox=&weightClassBox=

 

This means Nick is wrestling all freestyle, all the time, right now and has his sights on senior-level glory down the road.  No one else is taking this opportunity, and for most it's because they're in their high school rooms smashing overwhelmed kids working toward state-level accomplishments while Nick is in PA getting schooled by some of the best in the world in hopes of reaching world-level accomplishments. 

 

As unbelievable as Angel, Howe, and Hump were in making runs at world-level glory, even they only sniffed a world-level medal match one time between them.  A kid like Nick has to ask himself, "what would it take to get me even a step beyond those guys?"  Getting lessons like this weekend at his age just like all non-U.S. wrestling nations' best kids is certainly a starting point to answering that question.

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He's a stand up young man that truly has set very high goals for himself. I'm glad to hear he's taking every opportunity he can to get closer to reaching them. I'm sure we will see him competing in a few international competitions this year.

 

On a side note does a fine know if Lee eligible to compete in some of the College Opens? I know the rules changes a few years back which limited wrestlers still competing in HS from being involved in any college events. But, I wasn't sure how that would effect Lee if he's taking his senior year off of HS competition. Or on a related note if he's not eligible now due to finishing HS courses, would he be eligible for the Midlands at the end of Dec if he finishes his HSgraduation requirements by then?

Edited by MattM
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I believe you have to be a HS Graduate (or some equivalent thing).

Thanks for info. I was thinking that maybe the case but wasn't for sure. So maybe not early College Opens, but a possiblity that Nick could be eligible for Midlands if his plan is to wrap up HS courses this semester.

Edited by MattM
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"No one else is taking this opportunity, and for most it's because they're in their high school rooms smashing overwhelmed kids working toward state-level accomplishments while Nick is in PA getting schooled by some of the best in the world in hopes of reaching world-level accomplishments."

 

I'm happy for Nick. I think he's an elite wrestler who has very lofty goals. I just don't see how sort of backhanding the state competition is needed. Last I knew, Nick didn't win state last year. There are some mighty good kids wrestling in this state.

Edited by grappleapple
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Nick lost to the the only person in the state that could beat him last year.  IMO, he would get nothing out of tech/pinning every person he would have wrestled in the state this year.  Not a knock on the state, it's just reality.  As an MD alum, I really wish he was on the team this year.  But that is for purely selfish reasons.  He and his family are doing what they feel is in the best interest of his long term goals and I completely understand that and wish him nothing but the best of luck.  I would like to see him enter the Beast of the East or some other high level HS tournament this season.  But he appears to have upped the ante and is seeking out even better competition by entering senior level freestyle events.

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Good for Nick! Even though I do wish we could see him wrestle in Indiana one more time, I feel that he wouldn't really get challenged in Indiana this year. Obviously Chad Red beating him last year was the exception. I like the route though, get really really really really really good at Free Style instead of wasting your time on Folk and then having to play catch-up after the Folk season is over. 

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"No one else is taking this opportunity, and for most it's because they're in their high school rooms smashing overwhelmed kids working toward state-level accomplishments while Nick is in PA getting schooled by some of the best in the world in hopes of reaching world-level accomplishments."

 

I'm happy for Nick. I think he's an elite wrestler who has very lofty goals. I just don't see how sort of backhanding the state competition is needed. Last I knew, Nick didn't win state last year. There are some mighty good kids wrestling in this state.

I meant in-state competition across the country--not Indiana specifically.  There are a handful of kids in the entire country that have no possible competitive matches available to them the entire season and Nick is one of them.  But he is the only one of those few that will instead be challenging himself more intensely against better competition.  For the record, our in-state competition is very strong and getting deeper every year.  We're a top 10 wrestling state with loads of college-level talent.  Nick is a special case, and that's all I was trying to highlight.

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I meant in-state competition across the country--not Indiana specifically.  There are a handful of kids in the entire country that have no possible competitive matches available to them the entire season and Nick is one of them.  But he is the only one of those few that will instead be challenging himself more intensely against better competition.  For the record, our in-state competition is very strong and getting deeper every year.  We're a top 10 wrestling state with loads of college-level talent.  Nick is a special case, and that's all I was trying to highlight.

Makes sense. And I agree with you.

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Speaking of challenging himself, wrestling began this morning and Nick, (13-seed) tech falled Missouri grad Alan Waters 15-4 after getting down 4-0 early.  Waters finished 3rd at at the2015 NCAA Championships losing to Nathan Tomasello in the semifinals.  He defeated Thomas Gilman in the consolation match to gain 3rd place.  He finished 4th at the Olympic Team Trials this past May, beating Tomasello and Coleman Scott along the way, only dropping matches to eventual Olympian Daniel Dennis and Tyler Graff in the 3rd Place Match.

 

He faces 5-seed Jayson Ness, a 2010 Minnesota grad with #1 Logan Steiber waiting if he can pull that off.

 

Go Nick!

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