Hard work turns Wyoming wrestling commit Kevin Anderson into one of state鈥檚 best
CASPER, Wyo. (BVM) 鈥� Kelly Walsh High School head wrestling coach Travis Peak couldn鈥檛 envision Kevin Anderson as a future NCAA Division I wrestler three years ago.
Now there seems to be no stopping the University of Wyoming commit.
鈥淗e was able to go from not even being a state qualifier as a freshman, which in Wyoming, that鈥檚 pretty bad, to being the absolute best wrestler by his junior year,鈥� Peak said. 鈥淏y his junior year we were going, 鈥榃ow, this guy has gotten so good, so fast, like where is the ceiling? Where does his potential stop?鈥欌��
Walsh made a big jump to become the best wrestler in the 160-pound class in a span of two years, but he still had to overcome adversity in order to claim an individual state title. As a junior, he entered the state tournament ranked No. 1, but he was pinned in the quarterfinal round.
鈥淗e had a great junior season and absolutely should have or could have been a state champion then,鈥� Peak said. 鈥淗e鈥檇 beaten everybody pretty badly all season and just had a lapse in judgement in one match and ended up getting third. He was pretty bound and determined to win it this year.鈥�
Determined as he was, Anderson had to endure a setback this past January when he suffered a spiral fracture in his hand which required surgery.
鈥淎t first it was super discouraging,鈥� Anderson said, 鈥渂ut then as time progressed and I was healing up good and working hard and getting my mind right, I was getting more confident.鈥�
Peak was initially concerned about the injury, but he had little doubt that Anderson would do whatever he had to in order to come back.
鈥淎 lot of kids I might question, but not Kevin,鈥� Peak said. 鈥淗e works hard, he鈥檚 tough, he鈥檚 very focused and determined and he kind of had a bitter taste in his mouth after his junior season.鈥�
Anderson returned in February and claimed that elusive individual state title with a 6-4 decision over Cheyenne East鈥檚 Jackson Hesford, and he also helped the Trojans claim their second straight state title as a team. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work by Anderson, who had come a long way since missing the state tournament as a freshman.
鈥淚t was just working hard, as clich茅 as that sounds,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淚t was every morning working out, going to practice every afternoon and working hard and doing summer stuff, going to offseason tournaments. There was never a time that I wasn鈥檛 trying to get better and trying to excel at what I was doing.鈥�
Peak believes Anderson鈥檚 ability and willingness to learn helped him make big strides as a wrestler.
鈥淗e鈥檚 really smart and he鈥檚 like a sponge,鈥� Peak said. 鈥淗e鈥檒l soak up things. You鈥檒l teach him something and he鈥檒l drill it a few times and then he鈥檒l be able to do it in a match.鈥�
The smarts and work ethic that Anderson displayed while at Kelly Walsh will only benefit him at the college level, and there鈥檚 no telling how far those qualities will take him.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 what鈥檚 kind of intriguing about him the most and I think that鈥檚 maybe what UW sees in him,鈥� Peak said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 come a long way in a short amount of time and it doesn鈥檛 really seem like he鈥檚 slowing down so maybe they see a lot of potential and he can still get a lot better. 鈥� He鈥檚 such a hard worker and a quick learner that we don鈥檛 really know what his potential is right now.鈥�
Anderson is hopeful his potential will lead to more titles at Wyoming.
鈥淚 see myself achieving quite a bit,鈥� said Anderson, whose high school teammate Analu Benabise, a three-time individual state champ, will also be joining the Cowboys after his senior season next year. 鈥淚 think I鈥檓 going to pick up where I left off and keep climbing and hopefully one day end up on the podium as an All-American or national champ.鈥�
