Former GHS wrestler finishes second in Texas state tournament

Friday, March 22, 2013
Former Greencastle wrestler Kody Collins (top) competes in a meet in Texas. Collins moved to Texas following his sophomore year and finished second in the state this year. (Courtesy photo)

AUSTIN, Texas -- A former Greencastle student who wrestled locally from third grade through his sophomore year recently capped his high school career with a big accomplishment.

Kody Collins, a senior from Byron Nelson High School in the city of Roanoke, was a 4A state finalist in the 152-pound weight class.

The Greencastle native finished second to Nick Reenan of Dallas Highland Park in the class.

Kody Collins poses with his medal and draw sheet after finishing a wrestling meet during the 2012-13 season. (Courtesy photo)

Collins finished his senior year with a 43-8 record and a combined high school record of 110-35.

Asked about the level of competition in the two states, Collins said there are more wrestlers in Texas, but perhaps top-level Indiana wrestlers are more advanced.

"In Texas they have a lot more people. It's about three times the size of Indiana, so there's definitely a lot more competition," Collins said. "As far as the level goes, they're not quite up to Indiana yet, but they're getting there pretty fast."

He gave credit to his coaches in Greencastle -- from the club level through high school -- for preparing him for the success he has found since leaving.

"I think they (my coaches in Greencastle) did an excellent job of getting me prepared," Collins said. "There was nothing I saw down here that was new."

Collins said his teammates who grew up in Texas told him that good wrestlers in Texas generally practice pretty basic techniques.

"I didn't see anything that was like, 'Whoa, what was that?' It was all just basic moves that we learned from the elementary school level with Mr. (Russ) Hesler and going up through middle school and high school with coaches (Logan) Kuhne, (Matt) McCommish and (Chris) Hudson. It was all the same stuff, and I believe that's why I went so far," Collins said.

Beyond the coaches, Collins gave credit to the entire Greencastle community, particularly those who supported the local wrestling program.

"It was so much fun wrestling in Greencastle because you had all your friends there and you had their parents and their families there cheering you on," Collins said. "It was really a fun experience to wrestle for that school."

Describing moving in the middle of high school as "tough on any kid," Collins said being a wrestler gave him a way to fit in with a group immediately when he arrived at Byron Nelson.

"It helped a lot that I was good, too, because then you get respect from people on the team, and then you can help out," he said. "It really does help to be a part of a sport if you're moving."

Of course, a good wrestler moving into the high school also displaced some of Collins' teammates.

"I knocked a few kids out of my weight class my junior year when I got here," he said. "And then my senior year, nobody challenged me for varsity. I got the spot because my junior year I beat eight or nine kids out of the spot."

After finishing his high school career on such a high note, Collins has had offers to wrestle in college, but has chosen not to accept any so far.

"I've gotten a few offers from the northeast -- Rhode Island and New York. It would be nice to wrestle in college, but I can't go away from home that far to do it," he said.

Instead, Collins expects to go to Tarrant County College in Texas to be a firefighter.

"If I get a scholarship, I'll move on, but I'm not looking for a college that has wrestling," Collins said.

Kody is the son Kirk and Terri Collins and younger brother of Erika Collins, a 2009 Greencastle graduate. His grandparents John and the late Donna Mahoney were also longtime Greencastle residents.

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  • Great to hear such good things for Kody! Maurice and I had Kody in class. We miss the Collins family.

    -- Posted by mmckee on Fri, Mar 22, 2013, at 2:08 PM
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