Looking back on North Olmsted 165-pounder Matthew Chalkwater’s first two seasons, the junior has improved by leaps and bounds year over year.
Going from two-and-out as a freshman at the Division I Perrysburg District to a fifth-place finish and a spot as a state alternate last March, he’s shown the ability to grow and adapt that makes a state run a real possibility in 2024.
In his Round 4 matchup against Westlake at the Dec. 22 GLC Duals, his aggressiveness played well and he came away with a win. Chalkwater has put in a lot of effort to make this season his best to date.
“I’ve feel like I’ve improved a lot, especially in neutral. I’m finding myself in better situations, keeping myself in a better position to score,” Chalkwater said.
It took a while for the North Olmsted product to get his opponent pinned, with only nine ticks remaining on the third-period clock before his opponent finally went down for good.
Even a year ago, Chalkwater’s ability to continue running through the third period was 50-50 at best. So far, his tank has held steady with improved conditioning, and it’s noticeable for those watching closely. The junior has seen it himself.
“It helps to have a deeper gas tank, especially later in the matches when you’re down,” he said. “It helps you to keep moving and keep everything going.”
Chalkwater now finds himself in a different place compared to a year ago. With two-time state qualifier Gavin Beasley lost to graduation and former lightweight Ryan Kennedy having transferred out of the district, Chalkwater is the guy to whom North Olmsted’s new crop of wrestlers look up.
“It’s definitely a bit weird,” Chalkwater admitted to the change in roles. “It feels weird for me to be beating up on a lot of the kids.”
The 165-pound Eagle smiled for a quarter-second, letting a soft chuckle out as he rolled his eyes up as if to remember something from days past.
“I’m not really used to this right now,” he said. “We’ll definitely get used to this, though. I’ll help them get better and improve.”
While North Olmsted has normally found itself at Perrysburg in years past, a change to how and where teams end up for sectionals could change the calculus of where teams head to for district tournaments.
Whether or not it’s Perrysburg or elsewhere, having the fifth-place finish from last March at district will help keep Chalkwater ready for whatever lies ahead on his push down to Columbus.
“It helps that I got close because I can see it in my mind – I can see it in the future,” he explained. “It helps me strive (forward) and I know what I can be. These losses do a lot to your mind – they tear you down – but you can only learn from the losses.”
