The Bahamas has a reigning state champion in wrestling.

Sean Wrinkle, a senior at Asheville School, won the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) state high school championship at the weekend. He defeated Bentley Dalton of Charlotte Latin School to win the 152 pounds title and help Asheville to a fifth place finish among 16 schools.

"What I love about wrestling is that it isn't like other sports," Wrinkle said after the state tournament. "You play baseball, you play soccer - you don't play wrestling. There's no ball, there's no finish line, there's no team to blame - it's you and your opponent fighting as hard as you can for six minutes.

"But when I'm out there, I know I'm not alone, because my teammates and my coaches pushed me to get better and brought me here. Wrestling is the hardest sport there is, and to watch the improvement in my team and in myself over the years has been an awesome experience."

Wrinkle now advances to the U.S. National Championship, where he will compete this weekend at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. His whirlwind season will continue in May in Havana, Cuba as he has been selected to The Bahamas' Junior National Team to compete at the Junior Pan Am Wrestling Championships from May 6-9.

Clarence Rolle, president of the Bahamas Amateur Wresting Federation (BAWF), said Wrinkle's success is due to the hard work he put into the sport, and he looks forward to Wrinkle's contribution to national teams. Wrinkle is now 37-2 on the season.

"It's clear that Sean has tremendous talent," Rolle said. "He is a hard worker, and he has a great support system from his family, his school and, of course, the BAWF. He has a bright future and certainly medalling in Havana is a possible."

Rolle said the junior national team would also include Ozeke Swain, an Abaco resident who has also competed on The Bahamas Junior National Judo Team.

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