Sarasin powered by off-season wrestling

CEDAR RAPIDS — While other wrestlers played baseball or even took a break during the summer, Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Ben Sarasin spent his time on the mat.

He was found at Kennedy's practice room, with a personal coach in North Liberty and competing in places from York, Penn., to Fargo, N.D.

'I think getting those extra matches in gave me a huge edge over opponents,' said Sarasin, wrestling in 30 to 40 freestyle and Greco-Roman matches. 'This year, I think I've had a lot more growth than past years. I think that's largely a part of all the freestyle time I put in over the summer.'

The Cougars' third-ranked 160-pound sophomore is reaping the rewards of the off-season work. Sarasin's strides resulted in a 9-1 start, including five pins and two technical falls.

Early in the spring, Sarasin said he decided he wanted to make his mark in freestyle and Greco-Roman. He competed in many big tournaments, including state competitions, Cadet Nationals, where he placed fifth, and Cadet National Duals for Team Iowa.

'I just gave it my all this summer in training,' said Sarasin, who went 15-0 wrestling freestyle and Greco-Roman at National Duals in Pennsylvania. 'It was a good experience. It was great to see how I stack up against national competition.'

Sarasin proved his mettle at the national meet, earning All-American honors in freestyle. He lost his opening bout, but battled back with about nine straight victories to reach the podium.

'It was a heck of a run,' Kennedy Coach Dennis Hynek said. 'He really enjoys the sport of wrestling. If anyone has seen the losers bracket, it's like a marathon. To be able to come back like that is really impressive.'

Mat time allowed him to grow, adding to his strength in the neutral position. Sarasin also gained mat experience, exposing him to situations he doesn't see regularly.

'I've improved on my feet significantly,' Sarasin said. 'There are a lot of scrambles simulated in freestyle that you don't see as much in folkstyle training and matches. I think the extra experience in those positions has helped me a lot in scramble in folkstyle.'

Interestingly, it also helped his mat wrestling. Sarasin has expanded his repertoire on top, while actively looking for falls.

'Chain wrestling on top has gotten better,' Hynek said. 'There have been several matches where he goes from takedown directly to a turn or takes a guy to his back for five instead of two.

'Last year, he basically just had the cradle. He still likes that but he's getting into arm bars and tucks. He's doing a good job of transitioning to put guys on their back.'

The finish to last season provided a push into the off-season. Sarasin finished 31-9 and qualified for the state tournament, where he went 1-2. His last three losses — the district final and two in Des Moines — were to the top-three state finishers.

At first, he blamed the draw, but his perspective quickly changed.

'I knew I had the potential to do better than I did,' Sarasin said. 'It really motivated me because I realized I was up there toward the top. All I had to do was work a little bit harder and improve a little more to be up on the stand this year, hopefully win a state championship.'

Sarasin has proved he is a contender. He has faced the two wrestlers ranked ahead of him this season. He earned a runner-up finish at the Keith Young Invitational, falling to West Des Moines Valley's No. 2 Jack Koethe, 3-0, in the finals. In his final match of the Five Seasons Duals, Sarasin secured a team victory with a 5-3 decision over Linn-Mar's top-ranked Shea Hartzler.

'It showed I can compete with the best,' Sarasin said. 'It also showed me that when I open up with my wrestling I can do good things.

'At the same time, it wasn't that big of a deal because rankings don't mean that much. It was a dual tournament. I helped the team win the dual, but it doesn't mean that much. It's just another win, but it is a lot of motivation to work harder.'

Sarasin's success isn't limited to wrestling, owning a 3.8 grade-point average. He prides himself as a standout in the classroom as well, taking accelerated classes, Advanced Pre-Calculus, Physics and Spanish 3 in his second year of high school. He said he likes biology and might be interested in becoming a doctor. He sees the correlation between effort in sports and academics.

'Persistence is one of the biggest keys for both of those,' Sarasin said. 'Getting your schoolwork done and turned in on time is like the wrestling room, coming in everyday. When you're practicing and giving it your all, instead of just going through the motions, it's just like that in the classroom. You can't just show up. You have to pay attention and be involved.'

In addition to being smart, Hynek said Sarasin is a fun-loving kid that likes to joke. He and his teammates are known to flash a wry smile whenever they pass a coach's classroom.

'They are always up to something,' Hynek said. 'They always have a grin on their face. For the most part, when they try to be funny, it's harmless.

'Off the mat, we like to joke around and have fun. When it's time to get on the mat then we switch and get ready to go.'

Sarasin is ready to go to work for a state title. He has confidence in his ability and his sights are set on gold in February.

'I have the potential,' Sarasin said. 'The biggest part now is refining everything and keeping my conditioning up. I have to work hard in practice every single day and work harder than my opponents, believing in myself.'

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