by Josh Wilson

In the Greensboro Coliseum on October 20, the biggest and hardest high school tournament in the country took place. “Super 32” lasted two days and had the best high school wrestlers in the nation competing against one another. The day before the tournament started, wrestlers had to weigh in for the weight classes they will compete in, and Greensboro College wrestling had the pleasure of working the weigh-ins.   

This tournament was a fantastic opportunity to introduce high schoolers nationwide to GC. A lot of the high schoolers have never been to Greensboro before. Having the biggest high school wrestling tournament so close to campus is rare and our wrestling program takes pride in being home to the most challenging tournament in the country.  

This tournament had brackets with more than 200 wrestlers in them, with each wrestler only being able to lose twice before being eliminated. The eventual champion was awarded a gold Super 32 championship belt.   

I had the chance to speak with Ryan Hayes, the owner of CrankMat Media, which is a wrestling media platform that covers all the top-level wrestlers around the country. After asking him about his thoughts on the biggest high school tournament in the country being hosted in Greensboro, North Carolina, he said, “Super 32 started in the 1990s. The first Super 32 tournament took place at Morehead High School in Eden. I wrestled in the very first Super 32 tournament. They never knew that the tournament would grow to what it is today. To be able to host a tournament like this in North Carolina, a state not popular for its wrestling, and for it to still be really successful is great. There will be positive economic impact on Greensboro because of this event, and top wrestlers all over the country are now aware of what the city of Greensboro, and the state of North Carolina, can bring to them.” 

I had a fantastic time at the Super 32, not only because I worked the tournament but I was able to simply enjoy the sport and be a fan. During the event, I even got to speak with various celebrities, such as Chance Marsteller.  

Chance Marstellar is a “Final X” champion. Final X is an annual series of wrestling events determining the U.S. Senior World and the Olympic team members at each weight class. In the Final X tournament, Marstellar beat my favorite wrestler of all time, Jordan Burroughs, a six-time World Cup gold medalist. Although he beat my favorite wrestler, I still respect Chance Marstellar for accomplishing this impressive feat. In my conversation with Chance Marstellar, I asked him how he mentally prepares himself for huge competitions, since he was able to win against an opponent who was almost unbeatable in the United States. He discussed the importance of positive self-talk. I resonated with this approach because it reminded me of something my coach, Justin Harty, would discuss: the winning mindset. Having a positive, winning mindset is essential not just in sports but in life. The energy someone projects is the energy they will attract, which is a law of attraction.   

I am grateful I had the opportunity to attend the fantastic Super 32 tournament, meet new people and introduce them to Greensboro College. Most importantly, I am grateful that I learned the significance of a positive mindset.