Graf # 10 Person.

There are some people in this world that are natural athletes who beat everyone, win everything and make everyone look bad. We feel like no matter what we do or how hard we train, the result will be defeat. We spend all of our time hoping someone will put them in there place or that they will just die. In high school I competed against this animal.

Eric was a winner, a natural who beat everyone on the wrestling mat. He was tall, the girls loved him and he had a body that Greek Gods would be jealous of. He was fast, strong and the best technical wrestler I had ever seen. At the start of the season his coach told reporters your looking at this years State champ no one is going to touch him. Eric had already received a full wrestling scholarship to Penn State. Eric won every dual meet, and every tournament our senior year. He pined everyone or won by points before the six minute match was up. At the Rhode Island invitational, Eric beat the two year state champ in one minute thirty seconds. His competitors were like rag dolls he played with until he was board, and when he was done you got pined. At tournaments no one wondered who would win, but rather who would Eric beat to win, unfortunately that was usually me. At the regional tournament I decided I would not allow myself to get pined. In the final match Eric did not pin me, he won by four points. My coach said it was the best match I'd ever wrestled. Be proud he said no one has done that well against Eric, you cant expect anything more.

At the state tournament I won my first match and then a second. After winning my semi final match Peter from Salem said to me "kick his ass Jeremy" referring to Eric. Coach stopped me to remind me of what our jackets say on the back " Success is a journey, not a destination" This pissed me off to think my own coach had no faith in me. I told him my journey is over and my destiny is on that mat. I was ready for my last showdown with Eric. After six minutes of hell we were tied 10-10 and headed for sudden death. Physicaly exhausted we circled each other looking for an opening. Eric racked his hands across my face sending me into an instant rage, I grabbed him and applied my favorite move the firemen's carry sending him down to the mat for two points. As we stood and my hand was raised, the new state champ I felt a turning of the tides I'd beaten the man and never again would I be second best, not ever!