Ward Wrestling Live

2x State Qualifier and 2020 State Placer

1A 6th place 8th grade season ending injury at districts 9th grade 3rd place 2A 44-3 10th grade 3rd place 2A 40-4 11th grade State Champ 2A 38 - 1 (medical forfiet) 12th grade State champ 3A 37-0 NHSCA All American Flowrestling top 20 @ 182 most of junior year Traveled to many youth tournaments across the country growing up. Commited to UPenn Others schools that were recruiting me Brown, Air Force Academy, Campbell, Little Rock, Franklin and Marshall Took official visits to Upenn, Air Force Academy, Campbell, Little Rock

2007 PIAA 3rd place for Easton high school Red shirt at Penn state 2008 2008 FILA JR national champ (freestyle ) 2008 FILA JR pan am silver (greco) Bronze(freestyle) Wrestled for Millersville university Graduated from Kutztown University With sports management degree Fight professionally in mma and boxing 2015 on staff at Freedom high school (PA) Preveous Assistant coach at Monarch high Coral springs high South broward High Previous club coach with Cowboy wrestling club Mocco wrestling club Current Fl national team coach Head club coach at Eagle Empire wrestling club South Florida wrestling Director for FCA

Miami Springs Golden Hawks high school wrestler under David Ryan, attempted to get FIU wrestling off the ground 2009-2011. Started SLAM wrestling team 2018-2019. 2019-2020 1A District 16 Runner up. 2019-2020 SLAM Miami Coach of the Year.

Discussed taking over a wrestling program with no wrestling experience and growing and self teaching everyday

-Current Head Wrestling Coach University of Rio Grande (Rio Grande, Ohio) {pronounced Rye-O Grand) 1st year program Started in April, planning to compete this fall. member of Mid-South Conference so we'll be in FL quite a bit. -Former Associate Head Wrestling Coach and Assistant at University of the Ozarks (AR) ('19-20)('15-'18) - arrived 2nd year of program, coached 1st 2 D3 NQ in program history, grew program from 10 to 35-40 -Briefly HC at Kansas Wesleyan University before program cut. (18-19) 1 NAIA NQ Assistant at Grand View ('13-'15) - 2 team titles, several individual champs and AA's Graduated Grand View 2012 - part of first title team with FL native Omi Acosta. Finished career, 2x NJCAA Academic All American, 2x NAIA Scholar All American From Waverly, IA originally -- Waverly Shell Rock HS - Nationally ranked program finished 25th this year

His story is amazing!! From 10% Chance to live to 3rd at Nationals. 

 *Also, a moment of silence for CSU-Pueblo Wrestling Asst. Coach Mike Roumph who we tragically lost today 😢 Rest In Power Coach*  

Kolton Kersten is a survivor of bacterial meningitis who had less than a 10% chance to live. He lived through what is known as a medical miracle for one last run at a national title for his senior wrestling season. For what might be one of the best comeback stories never known, Kersten rebuilt himself from nothing to become a 2x All-American placing 3rd in the Nation two years later. The first time Kersten seen himself in the mirror while sick in the hospital, he told doctors to let him die. Shortly after, Kersten’s head coach Beau Vest walked in the room and told him something that would change his life forever, “I don’t care what these doctors are telling you about you never being able to function normally let alone ever wrestle again because if they truly knew you, they would know that you haven’t given up on anything in your entire life and you’re not going to give up today.

2x Big Ten Place winner and NCAA Qualifier

Osceola HS Wrestling FHSAA State Runner-Up

2x NCAA Champion

4x All-American

Said to be one of the best wrestlers in collegiate history.

Gabe Dean has a great podcast too... Subscribe and Listen https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...