Hard work by Humboldt junior Broc Ivy, 157 lbs., seems to have paid off as he prepares for next week’s regional tournament in Eureka.
After starting the season on a lurch, the past month has been a whirlwind for Ivy with multiple appearances in tournament medal matches, motivating area readers to select Ivy as January’s Allen County Area Athlete of the Month.
“I’m accomplishing so much, and everybody is recognizing it now. I’ve put so much work into it. It feels nice,” Ivy said. Ivy seemed to find his footing at the Burlington Invitational with a second-place finish at the beginning of the year and continued racking victories in the ensuing weeks.
He wrapped up the month with a second-place showing at the Fredonia Invitational and recently took third at the Tri-Valley League Championship.
Ivy will likely enter next weekend’s regional tournament as a higher seed, boasting an 18-9 record. Should he succeed in qualifying, it would be his second bid for state after qualifying for the big dance his freshman year.
Ivy said he will spend the next few practices giving himself a crash course in technique, conditioning and mental preparation. At this point in the season, when injuries start to mount, mental focus may be the determining factor in many of his matches from here on.
“I just have to go in, give it my all, fight and wrestle hard,” Ivy said. “It’s a tough journey. I’ll need to work on my mentality, but I also need to work on my shots. That’s helped me a lot.”
