As a big weekend for high school wrestlers gets closer, Wrestling Individual State Finals, the spotlight is being pointed toward three CHS wrestlers. One who particularly stands out is Hunter Burk, a sophomore who placed 4th in the regional tournament and has shown unwavering dedication and determination. 

He denotes that there is more behind the scenes that helps him gain this motivation that has brought him success.

“My friends and my family motivate me to try my hardest,” Burk said. “My dad especially because he took me to go to all of these tournaments in the offseason. He’s always been there at my meets.”

The pressures of the day before and the day of a wrestling meet can add stress to a wrestler. But Burk seems to have overcome this small mountain and emerged victorious so far. 

“I usually like to keep to myself before a match,” Burk said. “I just try to think about the match and warm up by myself.”

Burk started his wrestling career 7 years ago, participating in wrestling meets for elementary students. From then, his inclination for wrestling only grew, and he knew he wanted to continue throughout high school. 

“I really like how everyone kinda has a fair chance because of the weight classes,” Burk said. “If you put in enough work, I think most of the time it’ll give back.

This theory has definitely shown true for Burk. As he continues to train for the state tournament, he is able to look back at the time he put in before this moment and be proud of his unwavering devotion.

“I wasn’t surprised because I knew that I had put in a lot of work in the offseason as well as during the season,” Burk said. “ I was obviously happy and excited, but I knew that it was one of my goals and that I could definitely get there.”