Last month, senior Nolan Whitman reached a milestone few high school wrestlers attain. On January 21 during a meet at Ridgeview, Whitman achieved the 100th pin of his high school career. The accomplishment comes as his time as a Titan wrestler winds down. Whitman placed second at regionals and will wrestle in this weekend’s sectional at Olympia (along with Braden Gibson, Kole Petta, and Bryson Foster).
How did Whitman accomplish this feat? “It helps that I was able to wrestle varsity all four years,” he explained. “I used to wrestle in the 106 lbs. class as a freshman, but now I’m in the 157 lbs. class.” Of his strengths, he said, “I never give up. Even if an oppenent is better than me, I always try my hardest.” Whitman credits his family for helping him get to this level. His dad, Don, coached him during middle school. As a freshman, he got to wrestle with his older brother, Ethan. Currently, his oldest brother, Andrew, is an assistance coace for EPG. I also asserted that practice is crucial. “You’ve got to put in the work in practice to get better. Honestly, practices are harder than the meets. They’re tedious, but you just have to keep working.”
Whitman said he strives to keep practice and meets fun. “One thing that’s kept this season fun is getting to hang out with Kugg.” Ethan Krugger is the only other senior on the squad. When asked what makes Whitman such a good wrestler, Krugger replied, “He’s a great teammate. Even though wrestling is kind of an individual sport, he’s focused on encouraging everyone, especially in the weight room.
One of his favorite memories from his career is defeating Gage Martin from GCMS. “It was my freshman year during the first match of a dual meet. Gibson City was our toughest opponent, and this kid was talking trash, swatting me in the head, and he even shoved me into the bleachers. But, I won by gator rolling him. All of the upperclassmen were pumped.” Another crazy memory was when he, Parker Key, Ethan Krugger, and Braden Gibson got stuck in an elevator for two hours at an away meet.
Good luck to Nolan and all the other sectional qualifiers this weekend!
