And all it took was four years ... of relentless work, usually beginning at 6 a.m. daily, for Ridgewood's Matt Bullwinkel to earn a state title at 130 pounds and the Times county wrestler of the year award.
By GREG AUMAN
Published April 4, 2004
NEW PORT RICHEY - It was late on a Saturday night when Matt Bullwinkel finally stepped to the top of the podium at the Lakeland Center, but in his mind, it was 6 a.m.
That was the time he associated with wrestling, the early-morning hour at which he and his twin brother, Billy, would get to Ridgewood to squeeze in some running and drilling before school. For four years, hard work and long hours had been a part of their day, all with the hopes that before they'd leave, they'd stand atop that podium as state champions.
Billy fell short of his dream a day earlier, having had the misfortune of sharing a weight class with three-time state champion Cesar Grajales of Brandon. He finished third, and watched from the stands as his brother pulled out a 3-2 victory in the championship against the only wrestler who had beaten him this season.
Bullwinkel already had avenged his loss to Punta Gorda Charlotte's David Hoke when he beat him in the region final. In the state championship, he had to do it again, and a 2-point takedown with 1:18 left in the final period was enough to finish his high school career as a champion.
"It was an amazing feeling," he said. "They're taking pictures, and I'm standing up there with all these guys who are two- and three-time state champs. I just thought, "Wow.' "
Two weeks before his success in Lakeland, Bullwinkel helped the Rams achieve another long-awaited goal. Ridgewood won its first district crown and the seniors won six individual titles, finishing a combined 9-1 in the finals round.
The Bullwinkels combined for 289 wins in four years, but left behind something more enduring: a legacy of hope, showing any novice wrestler that relentless dedication can make nearly anything possible. For Rams coach Vinnie Lowe, the Bullwinkels are a reminder that potential doesn't have to have limits.
"It's just the concept that if you go about something, working your hardest to reach a goal, it's possible. It's not a guarantee, but it's possible," he said. "That's how they went about it."
Lowe said what makes both Bullwinkels' success more impressive is the fact that they came to Ridgewood having never wrestled, quickly taking up the sport and making it their passion.
"They came out as freshmen with no wrestling experience, and they weren't really standout athletes," he said. "They were members of teams, but never stars, never the ones picked first. They found their niche and they worked at it, and it really paid off for them."
The state tournament wasn't the end of their competitive wrestling. Both Bullwinkels were invited to compete in the National High School Coaches Association Senior Nationals tournament in Cleveland this weekend. Land O'Lakes senior Jeff Ramer, a state runner-up at 152 pounds, also will compete.
Matt Bullwinkel finished sixth in his weight class at a preseason national tournament, so he has faced such a level of competition before. Just the same, he and his brother kept up their morning workouts leading up to nationals, where they bring impressive career records: 147-45 for Billy, 142-42 for Matt.
The brothers have pushed each other to the highest level of high school wrestling, a friendly rivalry that didn't stop in Lakeland. Matt had a state championship to savor, but Billy could boast winning more matches, 54, than any wrestler in his class. The brotherly banter, all in fun, could continue to motivate the twins if they wrestle together in college. They haven't settled on where they're going. For now, Matt has bragging rights between the two.
"This is something I can tell my grandkids about someday," he said. "And my brother's grandkids, this is something I can tell them about, too."
