Area wrestlers look to find niche in loaded program
BRISTOL, TENN. – Kayla Brendlinger and Brittney Faust have visions of where they want wrestling to take them. Neither was willing to comprise their goals.
That helped both refocus from disappointment. Brendlinger, a Slippery Rock High School graduate who is a junior wrestler at King University (Tenn.), felt she started off the 2013 season sluggish. Last July, Brendlinger traveled to Santiago, Chile, for the FILA Pan American Junior Wrestling Championships.
What resulted wasn't what she hoped. Brendlinger, who placed fourth at 121 pounds to earn the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association All-American honors, dropped her first match to Venezula's Virginia Jimenez.
“I didn't do so well. I feel like I carried that throughout my season, which is unfortunate,” Brendlinger said. “I should just let it go and keep pushing forward. I'm taking what I learned last summer and putting it toward my matches now.”
Brendlinger has taken her experience and turned it into a 9-3 start. King coach Jason Moorman has put her in the lineup at 123 and 130. Brendlinger is ranked No. 4 in the country at 123 pounds.
“She's one of those ones who stays after practice more than anyone,” Moorman said. “She wants to watch film, do one-on-ones and do the extra work. When she sets her mind to it, it gets the pressure off her and she goes out, relaxes and is hard to beat.”
Brendlinger picked up a second-place finish at the Missouri Valley Duals, running off four wins before losing in the finals.
Staying tough mentally is Brendlinger's focus.
“Keep on trucking when I get down,” Brendlinger said. “Everyone has their ups and downs and everyone has their things that when it stops you have to push through it and get stronger.”
Faust, a Knoch High School graduate, felt similar disappointment after her finish last year. She also earned All-American honors at Missouri Valley College, placing sixth at 121 pounds. But Faust was unhappy. Her dream of being a national champion seemed distant.Faust decided to call Moorman, who recruited her in high school, and transfer schools.“I had all intentions of winning nationals and I was an All-American and placed sixth. That was definitely falling short of my goal and it was a little bit of a reality check,” Faust said. “I only had two seasons left to get it done and I didn't think I was in an environment anymore to succeed and accomplish my goals on and off the mat.”Moorman was pleased to bring Faust back. For this season, Faust will be ineligible to wrestle due to transfer rules. So, she will compete in non-sanctioned events and practice with the team to get ready. Sitting on the sidelines will be different for Faust.“It sucks, but it gives me motivation to train and come back harder for next year,” Faust said. “Being ineligible, I only have one season left to get it done. It makes you work harder.”Moorman thinks time to focus on training will help Faust.“Right away, when she came in we saw a lot of areas she could work on. We see a lot of good things she already has,” Moorman said. “We have Alli Ragan at 136, who is a senior world team member. At 123, we have a two-time world team member and senior Pan-Am champ. That's just a small portion of a lot of people we have that can push her. … Next year, we anticipate her being the best she's ever been. If she's at that level, that's the perfect time for her to be competing at WCWA.”
