We wrestled at the University of Central Missouri this weekend. It was a full day with 4 duals right in a row. We wrestled Minnesota State University Moorhead, Truman State University, University of Central Missouri, and University of Wisconsin-Parkside. We won all the duals and had a barnburner with Wisconsin-Parkside in which the dual came down to the heavyweight match. Our heavyweight Derek (one of my roomies) weighs right around 200 lbs. so some would say that he is a little undersized for heavyweight; in my opinion though, it is kind of a good thing for both of us because he just eats the food that I am craving when I am dieting. I can vicariously enjoy food through Derek and he can gain weight, not a bad deal! Anyways Derek wrestled really well and got a win over a tough opponent to win the dual for us.

I had a really tough match against the MSUM wrestler in which I ended up losing, I was really frustrated after the match because I felt like I made some mistakes that I shouldn't have and that I could have wrestled a better match. After the match my training partner and one of my best friends Ryan came up to me and talked with me a little bit about the match, gave me a few words of encouragement, and told me that I would get the next guy. It is interesting how my thinking has changed on this since high school. I remember that often times in high school right after I would lose a match I wouldn't want to talk to anyone, I was usually angry or upset and just wanted to take some time to cool off and then talk later. Now I appreciate it when my friends come up to me and talk to me after my matches. Perhaps part of it is that I have learned to deal with losing better now that I have done more of it in college, but I think it is mostly just that I am realizing that my friends care about me and they want to be there for me to pick me up when I am down. This is really encouraging for me because I know that whatever wrestling, or life for that matter, throws at me I have people that care about me. I think I mentioned in my first blog that God has blessed me with some amazing friends and family, and it is amazing to me how he uses them in my life so often.

I guess this is where my oxymoronic title comes in. Last year we were wrestling in the National Dual semifinals against Mankato and I was winning my match in the third period. Probably to most people watching it looked as if I had it locked up but then all of the sudden I got pinned in a scramble. This was really tough because we ended up losing the dual by one or two points and my match was a nine-point swing. I can remember just being really heartbroken after the match because I felt as if I had lost the dual for my team. Right afterwards four of my best friends (Ryan, Joe, Paul, and Jeff) each came up to me individually and told me that they were proud of me for trying my hardest and that they were behind me no matter what. I have told this story a few times (I think it will be burned upon my brain forever) and every time I think of it I think about what amazing friends God has blessed me with. So in hindsight even though I lost that match, I feel like I won because of the way my friends treated me, obviously not in a pump your fist at the crowd sense, but in a wow this is what really matters in life sense.

I know that nobody likes to lose, I have never liked losing but it has taught me a lot throughout the course of my wrestling career. Vince Lombardi said, "If you can accept losing, you can't win." I respectfully disagree; actually I would say sometimes, losing can be winning. I guess it can best be described with this quote from Mister Frodo Baggins of the Shire "So all my plan is spoilt!...It is no good trying to escape you. But I'm glad, Sam. I cannot tell you how glad."

     In my 16 years of wrestling I had a first this past weekend. It was the first time that I have ever wrestled someone with the same name as me. We wrestled Colorado State Pueblo University and the wrestler at my weight was named Keenen (it is a slightly different spelling but pronunciation is the same). It was our first home dual of the season and we won. Home duals are, in my opinion, the best; you get to workout in your own wrestling room, sleep in your own bed, and you get to go home right after the dual and have some of Momma's homemade chili (my Mom makes the best chili on the face of the planet). My Mom is my personal dietician and I have no doubt in my mind that I would never be able to maintain wrestling weight without her, but she also knows how to treat a hungry wrestler after a match, and for a few of my teammates and I on Saturday night that was homemade chili (with a secret ingredient that you would never guess in a million years) and apple streusel bread! I'd better not get started on my Mom's cooking or we could be here for a while; I could probably do an entire entry on her homemade protein bars, but that is for another day. The point is that there is nothing quite like enjoying a homemade meal with family and friends after a match.

     Both my Mom and Dad got to come to the dual, which was pretty cool because my Dad (coaches at the high-school I attended) got done with his tournament fairly early in Lincoln and zipped up to Kearney with my Mom to watch the dual. My cousin Drew who also wrestles for UNK made it back from his tournament in Omaha, which he wrestled in earlier that day, and one of my Dad's former wrestlers Shorty (he is not really that short, but he is stout, we should call him Stouty) and his wife came up from Kansas. On top of that gang I live in a house, The Casa De Choir Boy house to be specific, with 3 of my teammates (Joe, D, and DE holla!), so needless to say it was a pretty fun filled chili feast!

Until Next Time,

--You can take my keys, but you can't take my freedom!--  That's for you Jrut.

Keenan    

I am exited to start my blog this semester. I have always wanted to do a blog but never found the opportunity until now. I am a senior education major at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (Go Lopers) this is my fifth year of wrestling at UNK (I redshirted when I was a freshman), and I am one of two seniors on our wrestling team. I am beginning to realize how quickly the real world is approaching as I just started my last semester of classes today toward my undergrad here at UNK. I am not really 100 percent sure what I want to do with my life yet, but I am sure God will give me a gentle shove down the right path when that time comes. 

One thing that I have learned throughout my college career is that I want to work with people. I student taught this past semester in 7^th grade science and 8^th grade history, although it was difficult at times, I really enjoyed the chance to build relationships with the students. Another major influence in my life that has given me a love for people is my friends; God has blessed me with some awesome friends that have shown me how enjoyable life can be when you are around great people. I'm sure I will be going into more detail about them later (like for instance how one of my best friends/teammates Paul can hang from his toes on a pullup bar). So as far as my future is concerned, I don't think I can say it any better than one of my all time favorite hobbits said it, when Frodo Baggins said "I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way."  

Enough about me and on to our weekend at the Cliff Keen National duals in Cedar Falls

Iowa; we ended up going two and two on the weekend and taking 4^th place out of a field of 16 teams. We had a battle against Pittsburgh-Johnstown in the first round which actually ended in a tie score of 17-17, but we got the win because our 174 lber. Kamarudeen (we call him Marty) won by a technical fall (a margin of 15 points), which gave us the tie-breaker criteria. We then won against Western Colorado, which put us into the semifinals. In the semis we wrestled Newberry a school from South Carolina and lost a close dual, which put us into the 3^rd and 4^th place match against Minnesota State Mankato where we lost another close one by three points.  In my opinion national duals is one of the coolest tournaments that we wrestle in.  It is held at the University of Northern Iowa and features every single collegiate division out there. Schools from DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, Junior College, and Club teams compete within there respective divisions to find out who has the best dual team. This is another reason that national duals is so awesome, the dual atmosphere really brings out the team spirit that most people didn't know was such a huge part of wrestling. Wrestling is often times considered to be an individual sport, but in my opinion it is just the opposite. There is no better experience in wrestling than getting wrapped up your teammates matches; the entire team screaming at the side of the mat until their voices are hoarse helping a teammate to dig deep and find that extra ounce of energy to wrestle his hardest until the end of the match. Well there is perhaps one thing that can compare with that, going out to the steak buffet after an all day tournament, but I guess that is a different kind of enjoyment! Well I can tell that I have already been long winded enough so I will let it rest until next week, we have a home dual coming up this weekend which will be a nice change of pace from all of the traveling! So until then Peace-Out and Sauerkraut!