Just about any athlete will tell you they hate losing.
The thought drives athletes of the past and present up a wall. It’s ingrained into psyche and also frowned upon by others. Losing simply doesn’t feel good.
What people tend to overlook is how losing doesn’t have to be all negative. The lessons learned from losing are often more numerous than what is gained from winning. Athletes learn to improve upon their deficiencies and are better off going forward.
Take Keystone defending Division III 157-pound state champion and two-time state qualifier Tristin Greene as an example.
Entering the 2022 Division II state wrestling tournament with a 46-3 record as a sophomore at 138 pounds, Greene scored a tech fall and a decision on his way to the championship semifinals the night of March 12. A win would put him in the title match.
When an exhausted Greene fell to Columbian’s Bret Minnick by decision, 7-2, he was visibly upset. While he’d win another match, he’d lose out on third place via a 3-1 decision. That left him even more frustrated coming off the mat during the third day’s morning session.
Once he got over those sophomore year shortcomings, all Greene has done is win and learn from those experiences. He became a Fargo National Champion in 16-Under Greco Roman that same summer before taking home the state crown last year, going 47-2.
On Jan. 13, Greene kept rolling and at Northwestern’s Husky Invitational, he reached a significant milestone – 150 career wins.
I spoke to @klsd_wrestling state champ Tristin Greene the other day. He just picked up his 150th win Jan. 13 at a tournament out in Northwestern. He's now at 153.
He needed 20 wins coming into the year to reach the marker. He knew it was coming for a while. @MJournalSports pic.twitter.com/yPlJeIG6iN
— Sean Fitzgerald (@fitzonsportsbsr) January 18, 2024
“I knew this was coming for a while now,” Greene said. “Last year, I ended the season with about 130 – maybe a little more – wins. But I knew it was coming, knew it was going to be any day now. It happened last weekend, and it was kind of cool.”
Following two conference quad dual wins Jan. 18, Greene sits at 155 career wins to 12 career losses. He has lost only four total OHSAA matches since his junior year began – two losses each in 2022 and 2023 at the Walsh Iron Man, considered to be one of – if not the – toughest tournaments in the nation.
While those losses have built Greene up, they don’t define him. The past is the past, and he’s looking forward to bigger and better things.
“I try not to look back on losses in a negative light,” he said. “Like I said before, I look at them for guidance and how to get better.”
Greene has a pathway to take over the top spot on the Wildcats’ career wins leaderboard by the end of the year. William Spangler (173-23 record) and Brian Spangler (157-22) stand in Greene’s way – with the current senior having an outside shot at 175 career victories. What would Greene say to himself back two years ago after all he’s accomplished since then?
“Just keep working hard,” Greene answered.
“Push yourself, go with the best guys you can. Don’t think about trying to win state anymore – try thinking about winning nationals. Try to prepare yourself to beat the best guy in the nation instead of the best guy in the state because the best guy in the state will come naturally if you can beat the best guy in the nation. Always look for that next step.”
Greene has done exactly that. He keeps his focus on the moment and never looks too far ahead in a bracket trying to gameplan a path to the finals. That’s where many wrestlers will trip themselves up mentally by ignoring the opponent in front of them.
“That’s always been… kind of pushed in my skull,” Greene noted. “Just don’t look at the brackets too much, don’t really worry about who you’re going to face. Just wrestle your next match.”
Greene seeks out the best competition and continually works on addressing his flaws, many of which are hard to find nowadays.
“You can ask my coach (Chris Vondruska), I always ask for film,” he said. “I always look for what my guy does – I love planning against my guys.”
Greene cracked a smile, as a memory bubbled to the surface.
“Coach (Vondruska) once made a joke that if I could know what (my opponents) had for breakfast that day, I’d want to know.” The defending state champ chuckled before wrapping up his point.
“I’m just a very competitive person. I love to win. And if I can do almost anything to get a better chance at that, I would.”
