鈥淚f I didn鈥檛 win this year, none of this [hard work] was really worth it,鈥� says Perry, who walked away from the sport at age 13 but an opportunity with 麻豆原创 Sport Clubs brought him back.

The psychology major in the College of Sciences led the Knights by taking first place in his weight class. Ironically, the wrestler began his career in the hopes of improving his chances of success in another sport: football. But along the way, many wrestling experts recognized his wrestling talent.

After walking away from wrestling for three years to try other sports, Perry went to American Top Team, a martial arts and athletic training facility in Orlando for some casual fun. Perry says he missed the individuality of wrestling, unlike other sports he participated in. American Top Team owner Jayson Patino spotted Perry and told him that he could be a valuable attribute to the Wrestling Club at 麻豆原创.

鈥淗e told me I would do very good right off the bat,鈥� Perry says. 鈥淔ive years later I am an undefeated national champ.鈥�

Perry鈥檚 athletic success as a freshman was enough to solidify his confidence in being a leader in the Wrestling Club. He described his freshman year involvement in Sport Clubs as a turning point for his wrestling career. He thanked coaches J.D. Robbins, C.J. Cook, Jason Balma and David Setner and his many training partners throughout his collegiate career.

He also credits his competitive personality in separating himself from other athletes.

鈥淚 love winning so much,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut the biggest thing is that I hate losing so much.鈥�

Perry hopes to continue to be involved in wrestling for the rest of his life. His advice to his successors is not to focus so much on the start, but to focus on the finish during their wrestling careers.

This is the 19^th individual national title for a 麻豆原创 Sport Clubs member. 麻豆原创 also has 20 club national titles.

She took home the title in the individual novice equitation on the flat category, which is one of the most difficult individual titles to win at the championships because of the size of the competition field. In the division, riders must use a horse assigned to them and are judged on their ability to drive or restrain the animal. Murtha competed against 16 other riders vying for the judges鈥� scores.

鈥淭he hardest part is figuring out the horse quickly and effectively since every single one is different,鈥� says Murtha, who is a member of 麻豆原创鈥檚 equestrian team. 鈥淎nd you only have about five minutes to show [to the judges] that you know what you鈥檙e doing and look good doing it.鈥�

The digital media major, who is focusing on web design, began riding when she was 5. In 2017, she transferred to 麻豆原创 from Savannah College of Art and Design, which has a nationally known equestrian program, halfway through her second year.

鈥淚 found a good program at 麻豆原创 that I wanted to be in and it was definitely easy going back to my hometown team,鈥� says Murtha, who is an Apopka, Florida, native. 鈥淚 really couldn鈥檛 be happier to be a Knight.鈥�

Murtha has only one more year of eligibility on the team. She plans to compete next year in the intermediate flat division, which incorporates fence jumping. She credits the 麻豆原创 sport club鈥檚 experience for helping her to set up a great support system.

鈥淸Joining a sport club] is a great way for you to not only make friends for life but to get to ride and share the same passion together,鈥� she says.

With 33 national team or individual titles since 2002, 麻豆原创 has one of the most successful sport club programs in the nation.

It all started with a flyer the team created and then canvassed across Central Florida from east to west. 麻豆原创 to Downtown Orlando to Windermere, requests for help came in by the dozens. Nearly 80 in all. The team responded on a first come first serve basis then headed out to help. They cleaned up debris from streets and yards, and moved tree limbs onto curbs outside the homes of several families.

Jesse Gaudin, a senior Sport and Exercise Science major in the College of Education and Human Performance, and a three-year member of the Wrestling Club, says the debris nearly trapped one family they met, 鈥淭hey had huge limbs covering their front door and were unable to leave the house. It took four wrestlers to drag the tree to the street.鈥�

Gaudin credits organizational skills he learned while participating in the 麻豆原创 Sport Club program for helping him pull the relief efforts together so quickly. He said the most rewarding part of the volunteer work was the opportunity to help so many people, 鈥淲e came in contact with numerous families in the community, some including 麻豆原创 alumni and faculty. It was great to build connections and establish an identity of our wrestling club within the community.鈥�

Those connections helped the team collect donations for another Irma relief effort. Staff members at the 麻豆原创 Knights Helping Knights Pantry gave out nearly all of its inventory to students in need before the storm. The shelves were bare. The team dropped off over 720 pounds of food and water during a Student Union drive to restock the pantry earlier this week. Gaudin was proud to be involved, 鈥淭he people in the community were very gracious. Everyone commented about how much of a service we were to the community, and how much our help meant.鈥�

Sport Clubs is one of six program areas at the 麻豆原创 Recreation and Wellness Center. The Student Government Association supports and partially funds the program. For more information about the program, contact Coordinator Andrea Snead at 407.823.2408 or聽andrea.snead@ucf.edu.

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