Two Bethel High School wrestlers just missed earning top honors in a major national tournament this summer, but one has piqued the interest of a few college coaches.
Senior Thomas Dyment competed in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the U.S. Marine Corps Cadet & Junior Nationals tournament in Fargo, North Dakota. Though he was quickly ousted from the freestyle mats, Dyment left Greco-Roman only two matches away from being named an All-American.
Bethel wrestling coach Darren Lieb hopes that Dyment’s hard work will earn the senior college scholarships down the road.
“Thomas had some coaches look at him, talk to him. There’s a couple schools that want him to go down for some visits,” the coach said.
Sophomore Hayden Lieb also competed, and was undefeated in freestyle through 16 matches before being pinned, two matches away from being named an All-American. During his final match, he separated his pectoral chest muscles from his sternum and wasn’t cleared to compete in Greco-Roman.
Coach Lieb is proud of both wrestlers. This was his first time taking Bethel athletes to Nationals, where wrestlers ranked on World teams compete and Olympians appear.
The coach says his athletes reaffirmed something he already knew:
“Our kids can compete. There’s really no difference in our kids up here and kids down there. It’s just a matter of mentality and being able to compete at that level where everybody else is at.”
The group gets a short break to rest before the wrestling season begins again next month.
