The Coshocton County Beacon September 19, 2018 - Page 7

THE BEACON 7
www.coshoctonbeacontoday.com
SEPTEMBER 19, 2018
HIGH SCHOOL
FOOTBALL STANDINGS
COSHOCTON VARSITY:
1- 3 OVERALL, 0- 0 IN ECOL
8/24
8/31
9/7
9/15
9/21
9/28
10/5
10/12
Contributed | Beacon
Lucian Brink is pictured in the back row, second from last. The Coshocton High School junior was part of the Ohio
All-Star Wrestling team this past summer.
Brink has second wrestling trip of a lifetime
By Jen Jones
COSHOCTON - “It seemed like a long trip, but when it was
over, it seemed like it went so fast.”
Th at’s how Lucian Brink, son of Shawn and Susan Brink
and a CHS junior, described spending seven weeks last
summer traveling the country and wrestling against
the best wrestlers in the country. Th e group of 22 wres-
tlers, aged 12-16, fl ew out west then traveled together in
vans for seven weeks, from June 16 – Aug. 8. Th ey visited
several states, including Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, Utah,
California and Nevada, just to name a few. Th ey even
went to Canada and Mexico.
As they traveled, they had the opportunity to sightsee
at every stop and Brink is excited to share his experienc-
es with the trip. “We got to go up in the Space Needle
and visited an Olympic pool in Canada.” Every day, they
drove several hours, practiced, and went sightseeing.
Being chosen for this team is not easy. Athletes are
chosen based on their academic performance, wrestling
ability and a “background check.” Brink actually was
chosen to go on the trip twice – the fi rst time when he was
12 and last summer. “I was shocked I got chosen again,
but really excited.”
“Th e fi rst time I went, my parents had tons of questions
and concerns (the athletes travel as a group with coach-
es – no parents) and I was always worried I would forget
something. Th is time, we were all more comfortable
about it and it was a diff erent experience for me.”
“When I was 12, I was one of the youngest on the
team. I was a decent wrestler, but taking that trip made
me so much better. We had some of the best coaches in
the country. On that fi rst trip, I kind of got the ‘younger
brother experience.’ I don’t have any older siblings so
I’ve never felt like that. Some of the older wrestlers were
instigators who kind of picked on the younger ones, while
others looked out for us.”
“Th is time, I was an older one and I tried really hard to
be a good role model for the younger ones. When you are
out there, everything is your own responsibility – manag-
ing money and stuff like that. I hope I helped the younger
guys grow and I know we all bonded. We were together
non-stop – either in the van, practicing, sightseeing or
just hanging out – always together.”
“Even the guys who didn’t get along at the beginning or
in the middle or at the end were sad to see the trip end.
We just bonded and it was sad it was over.”
Part of the reason Brink said he improved as a wrestler
so much is practicing against so many styles of wrestling.
“Most people don’t realize that every state has its own
style of wresting and every guy wrestles diff erently. Get-
ting that experience really made me a better wrestler. My
record this summer was 16-2. I lost to a state champion
and the guy he beat to win state. I actually won a match
against another state champion.”
Brink said traveling like he did has really opened him
up. “I was never a quiet kid, but public speaking was
nothing I liked. To go on these trips, I had to raise the
money for the trip and I had to ask people to sponsor me.
My fi rst trip, I had to speak to a school board and they
said I could sell 50/50 tickets at a wrestling competition.”
“Th at day, coach took me out to the middle of the gym
fl oor, handed me a microphone and told me to explain to
people why I was raising money. I defi nitely got pushed
out of my comfort zone – on the trip, people were always
asking questions and wanted to take pictures with us. I’ve
opened up a lot.”
Brink said he learned valuable lessons as he traveled.
“Anytime I get an opportunity to try something that I
might never get to try again, I’m going to take that op-
portunity. I don’t want to have regrets about what I didn’t
do. I also understand a little more how to treat my sisters
after spending so much time with the younger wrestlers.
I also know that everyone has bad days, but you still have
to go out and practice.”
Two highlights of his trip were just spending time
hanging out with the other wrestlers and getting to know
them and Lake Tahoe. “We got to go cliff diving – it was a
great experience!”
Brink would like to thank the community and the
people who sponsored him for this trip, especially Larry
Farrell, from ITM Marketing, and the Coshocton Foun-
dation. “I’m very thankful for everyone’s support. Th e
support means so much to me.”
Indian Valley
Claymont
Ridgewood
Port Clinton
New Lexington
Meadowbrook
Philo
Cambridge
(Homecoming)
10/19 Maysville
10/26 River View
L
W
L
L
A
A
A 0-40
42-6
20-34
0-32
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
H
H
H 7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
NEWCOMERSTOWN VARSITY:
0- 4 OVERALL, 0- 0 IN IVC
8/24 Barnesville
8/31 Buckeye Trail
9/7 Berne Union
(Homecoming)
9/14 Malvern
9/21 TCC
9/28 Tusky Valley
10/5 Indian Valley
10/12 Claymont
10/19 Garaway
10/26 Ridgewood
L
L 6-36
9-42
L
L
H
A
H
A
A
H 0-6
21-42
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
RIDGEWOOD VARSITY:
4- 0 OVERALL, 0- 0 IN IVC
8/24
8/31
9/7
9/14
9/21
9/28
10/5
10/12
10/19
10/26
Northwestern
Waynedale
Coshocton
East Canton
Strasburg (Homecoming)
Indian Valley
Garaway
Tusky Valley
Claymont
Newcomerstown
W
W
W
W
H
H
A
H
H
A
43-28
17-12
34-20
14-7
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
RIVER VIEW VARSITY:
2- 2 OVERALL, 0- 0 IN ECOL
8/24
8/31
9/7
9/14
9/21
9/28
10/5
10/12
10/19
10/27
Northridge
Garaway
Claymont
Zanesville
Barnesville (Homecoming)
Minerva
Marietta
Meadowbrook
Cambridge
Coshocton
W
L
W
L
H
H
A
A
H
A
30-13
3-42
21-7
0-34
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.