The best athletes in a certain sport are usually the ones who’ve practiced long before entering high school, putting most of their youth into playing and getting better. They start young and join that sport their freshman year.

However, senior Alejandro Figueroa is different from the other wrestlers.

Figueroa never wrestled before and what he knows of wrestling is what he saw his father do on the mat. And his junior was the first year ever tried out for the wrestling team. He didn’t try out for the team due to being scared his freshman year he just wasn’t ready to play until season was over his sophomore year.

Starting the sport his junior year, Figueroa struggled at first. He lost two matches in the season so far, and won second place in the two he did lose. One could think he didn’t just begin last year.

“Last year since it was my first year, I was horrible,” Figueroa said. “When I went out there I wrestled all crazy.”

He only won two games when he was a junior. He said he lacked mental game and depended on his coach to tell him what to do.

That didn’t stop him from training to get better. Once wrestling season was over his junior year, he practiced off-season after school and during summer break, training to get better for next season. Now, he’s prepared with a plan in his head before going on to the mat.

“I’m proud I’m able to wrestle independently now,” Figueroa said. “I’m glad I’ve improved so much and I’m still improving even now.”