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.

Nine members of the team advanced to nationals, including Santiago Martinez and Josh Woods, who finished second in their weight classes. Woods earned All-American honors for the third time with his performance.

The NCWA also named Alex Chiricosta as an All-American, his second such honor.

At Southeast Regionals, five 麻豆原创 wrestlers finished in the top three, including first-place finishers Chiricosta, Woods, and Martinez. Ashton Griffin finished second and Max Becks finished third.

Coach Jason Balma credits this year鈥檚 success to the team鈥檚 new role as underdogs. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been beat up by the best of them this year, inside and outside the NCWA. Because of that, maybe we鈥檙e not seen as a top-10 team now,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e usually are going full throttle into the postseason. But this year we stepped back and rested. Now the guys are hungry to compete again, and maybe we can surprise some people since we鈥檙e not the favorites anymore.鈥�

The team is coming off an unprecedented tournament schedule including trips to Puerto Rico, Georgia, California, Nevada, Virginia, South Carolina, and throughout Florida. The team also hosted many fundraising events including the 2nd annual Johnny Rouse Golf Tournament, NWCA, 麻豆原创 Open, Knight Brawl Duals, and conference matches.

The wrestling team is part of the Sport Clubs Council, a component of the Recreation and Wellness Center. The council and center are funded by the Student Government Association with a continuing mission to enrich campus life through programs that foster healthy lifestyles.