Good Sports: El Diamante High School wrestler makes history with state title

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's not hard for El Diamante inferior Chris Creason to prime retired a favourite ringing oregon medal from his wrestling career.

That triumph successful February - historic.

Creason won the 157-pound authorities title, becoming Visalia's archetypal authorities champ successful 45 years and the archetypal successful the past of the school.

"I wanted to beryllium that tiny schoolhouse that showed that I tin beryllium arsenic large oregon adjacent amended than these large apical dogs," helium said.

It's a mindset helium developed from an aboriginal age, often wrestling 1 to 2 grades up with the older kids.

But the concealed constituent whitethorn spell deeper.

His aunt, Jennah Creason, was the archetypal miss to triumph a authorities rubric successful Tulare County history. Now, she competes arsenic a nonrecreational boxer.

His dad, Chris Creason Sr., is different erstwhile wrestler who is successful his archetypal twelvemonth arsenic the Miners caput coach.

Creason Sr. took his lad up and down the authorities to get the champion competition.

"We've seen a lot, a batch of antithetic styles and helium made his ain benignant retired of it," Creason Sr. said.

Those skills were connected show successful Virginia.

"I had my dada determination -- I conscionable remembered to support my cool, grin and conscionable spell retired determination and person fun," Creason said.

Creason rattled disconnected 7 consecutive wins to assertion the 160-pound nationalist title, but he's already looking up to adjacent year.

"Definitely privation to go a back-to-back authorities champ and back-to-back nationalist champ," helium said.

He's already made his assemblage commitment. Creason picked Army, impressed with West Point's academics and the accidental to marque much past connected the mat.

For now, he's enjoying the interaction astatine El Diamante.

Creason is already rolling up his sleeves and moving for a repeat, hoping to animate the adjacent generation.

"I consciousness similar it gives immoderate of the kids thing to look at," helium said. "If 1 of america tin bash it successful immoderate sport, we tin each bash it. Just person to person that motive and that drive."

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