Confidence is soaring

FARGO, N.D. — Tony Wood had a successful high school season in 2023 when he finished seventh in the state tournament during his junior campaign.

He found some similar success at one of the highest stages of wrestling for high school-aged athletes.

What’s the biggest effect of this success? Wood’s confidence is shooting through the roof.

Last week, Wood competed in the 2023 U.S. Marine Corps Junior National freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments, finishing in a tie for 13th in the former and a tie for 25th in the latter.

There were 135 athletes who wrestled in the 138-pound weight class for the freestyle tournament and 96 in the Greco-Roman tournament.

“It's the largest tournament in the world for his age group,” said Wade McClurg, Wood’s club coach from Warrior RTC in Fort Wayne. “I mean, there's no Tournament that's bigger than that tournament, in terms of numbers. And it's the toughest tournament that you can compete in for his age.”

To qualify for the freestyle tournament, Wood needed to place in the top three in the Indiana State Wrestling Association Freestyle State Finals. He finished third in the event in May to clinch his spot in the national tournament.

Freestyle and Greco-Roman are different styles of wrestling that reward points more for explosiveness and risk as opposed to high school’s folkstyle wrestling point system that is based on control.

“If you're doing freestyle and Greco in the offseason, I mean, you're very committed to the sport,” McClurg said.

Right away, Wood had the opportunity to compete against some top-level talent, being matched up against the New York State Champion, Jordan Joslyn, who he took down 10-6 in the round of 128.

Wood rattled off two more wins against Ty Saulter of Minnesota (11-1) and Smokey McClure of Washington (4-3) to make it to the round of 16.

“I really didn't realize how good I was doing until I actually got in the round of 16,” Wood said. “It's just kind of mind blowing like sometimes I don't give myself enough credit and then I got like around the nation top 13 you know competing with nationally ranked kids. I think it's gonna help me with confidence while I was here.”

Wood participated in his most memorable match from the two tournaments in the round of 16, as he took on Florida state champion and ninth-ranked Elvis Solis. The match sticks out to Wood because of the opportunity it had provided him and how he was in position to win but just didn’t quite pull it out in a 3-1 defeat.

“I felt like I was controlling most of the match, but he just ended up scoring off on my offense,” Wood said. “I lost that one but it was still like, I wrestled really well, against a highly, nationally ranked guy.”

The loss moved Wood to the consolation bracket where he beat North Dakota state champion Koye Grebel 13-11 to guarantee a top-16 finish.

In the following round, Wood lost to Georgia state champion Drew Gorman 13-2, and fell just short of becoming a national medalist and All-American honors but earned a tie for 13th place.

Wood had little time to turn around and refocus to make weight for the next tournament and prepare to win his matches there as well.

In the Greco-Roman tournament, Wood won his first match 4-0 before an 8-0 loss bumped him to the consolation bracket. He rattled off three wins (8-0, 9-4 and 5-0) before falling in the round of 16 to Wisconsin’s Gunner Hamre 9-0 to end his tournament run. The performance earned him a tie for 25th in the tournament.

Wood competed in the freestyle tournament the previous two years as well, both times finishing 1-2. This time around, his overall record improved to 8-4 while he knocked on the door of national honors.

What caused this sudden jump in success for Wood? His confident mindset and relentless training.

“Another confidence thing was believing in what I was doing,” Wood said. “So, like that round is 64 I really started to feel good when I was wrestling and I just was moving so right for so right my wrestling was just going great.”

McClurg echoed that sentiment as a key part to Wood’s development.

“He's gained confidence, and that's really everything,” McClurg said. “... One thing we talk about in our club all the time is the relentless pursuit and for self improvement, and that's what we're after. I just really think he's bought into that philosophy.”

Through competing in these tournaments and facing top-level talent, Wood has taken away the importance of having a mindset that he can beat anyone. Rather than second guessing whether he should beat someone, he approaches the match with the confidence that he has the ability to beat anyone at any level.

“This tournament has really helped me this year,” Wood said. “It’s helped me view myself as a better wrestler. So I know I can compete with anybody I step on the mat with so I think that was the biggest value that I had to take away from this one.”