Canyon Ridge High School senior, Sean Hall, closed his high school wrestling career and took home the national title at the Folkstyle National Championships in West Des Moines, Iowa, that were held March 12th through the 15th.
Sean Hall competed at 144 lbs, after wrestling this season at Canyon Ridge, while he was weighed at 150. He entered the tournament match unseeded and faced six matches over the course of two days. He won the first match of the tournament with a first-period pin and grinding out a two-point decision in the second round. In the third match, Sean secured a one-point victory.
His momentum carried over into the quarterfinals where he wrestled Iowa commit, Connor Peterson, and won 8-5. After the semifinals, he wrestled and won 11-7 after executing a cradle against three-time Iowa state champion Dawson Youngblut, who was seeded second.
In the championship match, Sean faced top-seeded Carson Newbert, a two-time Wisconsin state champion committed to the University of Wisconsin by 10-2.
Sean finished the tournament undefeated and concluded his high school career with a 50-0 record, two state titles, an international title in Bulgaria, and now the national title.
“When I realized I won, I couldn’t believe it,” Sean said. “It was my last match ever, and I showed out. It was one of the greatest feelings of relief I have ever felt.”
Sean said he had initially planned to end his career after winning his state title, but was encouraged by his father and coaches to compete one final time in nationals.
“This win to me personally testifies to what you can accomplish when people believe in you,” he said. “If it wasn’t for them, I would never have gone.”
Sean does not currently plan to continue wrestling competitively and has committed to serving a mission in Brazil for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
