Maplewood Richmond Heights junior, Romelle Person took second in the state wrestling tournament as a sophomore and won it as a junior—the next day he started training for his senior year.
He trains every day except Sundays, when he goes to church, he said last week in a meeting at the school.
“I love wrestling,” he said. “I’m not sure I love wrestling—I love winning. It makes it easier to get to the next level in life,” he said.
He practices with Team St. Louis and St. Louis Warriors, and on weekends goes to tournaments, which are usually out of state.
Person recently returned from the Tournament of Champions, in Ohio, the biggest one-day tournament in the country, where he took second in overtime to a state champion from New York.
Person said a match against another state champion is like any other.
“It’s just nothing,” he said. “It just helps me get better for state (next year) and college. That’s the only think I’m looking for. I’m looking for another state title, but I’m trying to look past that, and get ready for college.” He said he’s getting letters from colleges but isn’t ready to make up his mind until next fall.
He videos his matches to watch afterwards, especially the ones he loses.
“I don’t lose because I get out-wrestled. It’s usually because I make mistakes. If I make a mistake, I try to capitalize, try to get better,” he said.
This summer he’s been invited to a week-long camp in Minnesota, a national dual tournament in New Orleans and one in Florida. He said some friends are helping him with the costs.
Wow, awesome…….great role model for his peers at MRH……hard work works. Congrats Romelle…….need to put him on the signs in town that list State Champs.