From transferring schools to placing first in the John Hurrle wrestling invitational, sophomore Waylon Cressell has worked for many years to show up and show out, in both standard matches and in state matches.
Cressell has had many changes over the last year that are quite notable and relevant to his success.
Cressell lived in North Dakota, more specifically West Fargo, North Dakota. There, Cressell attended his freshman year of high school at West Fargo High School. His freshman season wrapped up in great fashion as he won a state title.
“Last year I won my first state title and won the Rumble On Red, the biggest sanctioned high school tournament in folkstyle,” Cressell said.
Cressell may be an underclassman, but he is known to be very mighty. He wrestles in the 165-pound weight class and has wrestled in practice against teammates Brenton Russell and Christian Arberry, who are some of the best-ranked wrestlers in the state.
Cressell is considered a good athlete by his teammates, but he also helps teammates by showing excellence on and off the mat, inspiring teammates all around.
“Something Waylon does, I believe, that inspires the whole team is his resilience,” Russell said. “Some wrestlers may be willing to work hard for a state title, but when the work actually gets hard, it's wrestlers like Waylon who don't complain and just get the work done, and he gets on our teammates when they complain, which makes him a great addition to our team.”
Cressell is described by senior teammate A.J. Cashman as a “bull,” showing how highly he is respected and appreciated on the team.
Coaches say they enjoy working with Cressell, as he shows day in and day out that he can compete with the highest ranked in the state and that he is an overall team player with his attitude.
Cressell is actively ranked second in his weight class, and coaches believe that all the hype is deserved.
“He works really hard and spends a lot of time on it,” head coach Jacob O’Neill said. “He's selfless and always thinks about others.”
While it may be early on in the season, many are already calling Cressell state-bound. The number one wrestler in the state attends Crown Point High School, and if the two square up at all this season it should be an all-around great matchup.
“He is ranked second in the state at 165 with a wrestler from Crown Point, who I also beat several times, ranked first,” Russell said. “I believe Waylon is way better than him though, since he is way more disciplined with his attacks and his never-back-down attitude.”
All of this is not possible without outstanding coaching, and while a lot of Cressell’s success is because of his motivation and willingness to become better, coaches at Warren help to encourage his attitude and technique.
“My coach [is] helpful because he/they helped me work hard and got me [in a] training regiment,” Cressell said. “They push me every day in practice. They believe in me and I do too. They help me also build character in sport.”