It's been many years since Derek took athletes back to High School Nationals. Since Ben was a toddler. This year Lukas, who placed 2nd at State wanted to go. So, Derek decided to take Ben too--and then Max also decided to join them. It's such a long flight that in order to get there, they had to leave on Wednesday for the Thursday afternoon weigh-ins. Then it's a 3 day tournament. They run 79 mats, I think Derek said. It was huge! And Derek was gone for 5 days of the middle school season. Let me just say that while I was excited for them to go, wearing the head coach hat was not my favorite! Thankfully Hunter was there to help run practices.
Ben won his first match with an awesome pin, then lost his next two to kids who were state placers AND had cut down from 113 (since there was a 4 pound weight allowance.). Max lost one, won one, then lost again.
Derek was super proud of him. Lukas made it to the blood rounds, losing a really close match (10-9) to enter the consolation bracket, then getting teched by the kid who eventually took 3rd.
They had a good time. They wrestled on the beach to make sure they were on weight. After weigh-ins, Ben ate SO much frozen yogurt during the week they were there. They got to see Jamestown (I wish I could have taken my 5th graders there)! They want to go back next year. Haha. We'll see. We'll need to decide sooner, that will make the flights cheaper. Also they could probably fly home Sunday night to make hotel and car cheaper.
I'm glad they went for it!
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| Views from their hotel suite (it was pretty sketchy I guess, but it had two bedrooms). |
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| Ben got a couple singlets :) |
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| If you've seen the documentary Takedowns and Falls you'll understand why they were super excited by this van. (Also one of their club coaches is from this school--the documentary was the year before he was in high school--but he's in some pictures.) |
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| They also toured a military boat of some kind. |
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| Derek had to shave his beard for gas mask training. He looks so different! |
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| Beach wrestling! |
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