Zach Hornsby (left) earned 100 wins in wrestling at Mid-Carolina High School this year, the first at the school to do so. He is pictured with his mother, Jennifer Hornsby (right).
PROSPERITY — Zach Hornsby, a Mid-Carolina High School senior, made history at the school by being the first student to reach 100 wins in wrestling. Now at approximately 105 wins, Hornsby said he earned his 100th win on January 7.
The 18-year-old said he has been wrestling since the eighth grade, when his physical education teacher, Ethan Campbell, recommended he give it a shot.
“I was actually bad at basketball and my PE teacher at that time coached wrestling; he told me to try it out. I went out for a day, about died, and then fell in love with it,” Hornsby said.
The reason Hornsby fell in love with wrestling is because within the sport you have to be better than the other person and not rely on a team as a whole, he said.
“You’re just liable for your own success,” he said.
In order to get over 100 wins in a high school career, Hornsby, who said he prefers wrestling on his feet as opposed to on the mat, had to practice; he said he practices at school and will also leave to go to club practice in Camden. During the off season, he said he trains at different clubs and tries to get extra work in.
“It takes a lot of dedication, when you start off it is not easy, you don’t really win as much, you just stick with it,” Hornsby said.
To get that many wins, Hornsby also said you have to have a winner’s mentality and, “refuse to lose.”
When it comes to a standout win, Hornsby said that the one that is most memorable was the match that took him to state his sophomore year. He said it was the most memorable because it was the first time he qualified for State.
“I’ve been to State now both my sophomore year and junior year, hoping for this year. The highest I’ve made it was third at State last year,” he said.
Along with high school wrestling, Hornsby also participates in various tournaments across the country. For example, he’s gone to Virginia for Virginia Beach Nationals, a tournament in West Virginia, Illinois for a training camp, North Dakota for Freestyle Greco Nationals and Oklahoma for a tournament.
Hornsby said if he added his tournament victories along with those he earned in high school, he may have a little over 200 wins.
As Hornsby will graduate this year, he said he plans on wrestling in the summer and work to wrestle in college, as he is ready to wrestle at the next level.
For anyone also looking to wrestle, Hornsby said, “just stay with it and you’ll get out whatever you put in.”
To those who helped Hornsby along the way, he gave a sincere thanks.
“Thanks Coach Campbell for getting me started, all the practice partners I’ve had and made me get better, and my parents for taking me all over the country to wrestle against some of the best to get better,” he said.
Reach Andrew Wigger @ 803-768-3122 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.