As kids they wanted to wrestle the best in the world. Now they are

Austin Almaguer is on a mission to put Greco-Roman wrestling on the map.

The Kamiakin High School junior, along with classmates Jacob Olson and Sione Halo, left Wednesday for Sweden to wrestle with Team USA in the Malar Cup.

“It is a new experience,” said Almaguer, who also wrestled in Serbia and Croatia during the summer as part of the Go Greco USA Developmental Program. “You get to wrestle better competition in Greco, which you don’t get in the United States. We get to train for a week with some of the best.”

While the United States has a Greco-Roman program, and the cadet and junior programs are improving, the competition in the senior group is lacking, and wrestlers like the Kamiakin trio are hoping to strengthen the program.

“Our senior group isn’t as strong as the Europeans,” Almaguer said. “We want to help change that. Folkstyle (high school wrestling) is not bad, but if we want to catch up in Greco, we have to start them young and give them options and opportunities. Our biggest weakness in U.S. wrestling is Greco.”

Kamiakin coach Jordan Anderson said the adventure is a great opportunity for his wrestlers.

“This is awesome,” he said. “It’s amazing where wrestling has taken them, not just in the United States but abroad. Not many high school kids can say they have wrestled in Serbia, Croatia and Sweden. It’s a great overall experience.”

For the wrestlers, they say it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“I am grateful to have these opportunities,” said Almaguer, who will compete at 127 pounds. “I may not get to go to Sweden or Croatia again. It’s fun to see the other countries and what they think of the U.S.”

European adventure

Olson, who will wrestle at 187 pounds, was scheduled to join Almaguer in the Croatia/Serbia trip, but a broken hand kept him home. He’s not missing out on this trip.

“I was really looking forward to representing the United States in Croatia,” said Olson, who is making his first international trip. “I’m really excited to go to Sweden. I’m a really big Greco guy — I like to throw.”

For Halo (151 pounds), this also will be his first international competition. He’s been to Fargo, N.D., and Pennsylvania, but not across the Atlantic Ocean.

“When we were kids, we would be in here (wrestling room) and our parents would tell us we would to go to nationals and represent the United States, and here we are,” Halo said. “This the opportunity of a lifetime for me.”

The Kamiakin wrestlers will watch the senior division (18 years and older) compete in the Klippan Cup on Saturday. They will get their turn on the mat in cadet division (15-16) of the Malar Cup on Nov. 3-4 in Västerâs, Sweden.

In the meantime, they will practice and have training session with European wrestlers.

“In Sweden, Greco-Roman is all they wrestle. They don’t wrestle freestyle,” Team USA senior member Randon Miranda said in a news release. “It’s how they pummel, how they teach, and how their practices are run. You always get a different feel and your body moves in different ways. Going overseas I think is something kids need to do, especially in America and for Greco.”

In the beginning

Almaguer, Olson and Halo started wrestling at the Tri-City Wrestling Club when they were little tykes, under the tutelage of coach Travis Ayers.

Practices are held at Kennewick High School, where Ayers has seen many future state champions start their careers.

“Most of the good kids in the Tri-Cities have been in my room at one time or another,” said Ayers, who has been running the program since 1991, with a three-year hiatus from 1997-2000. “These kids, when they were younger, wanted to be world champions. Now, that is coming true. Austin is my best driller and Jacob is a headlock kid. Sione was small and chubby, and I didn’t see much promise in him at all.”

Halo admitted he wasn’t in the best of shape as a 150-pound 10-year-old. But he never gave up.

“Travis helped me believe in myself,” Halo said. “I was the fat kid always getting beat up. I got my weight down and more options opened up.”

All three Kamiakin wrestlers said they owe Ayers a debt of gratitude for his help over the years. Not only did they learn to wrestle, but they created a bond that has helped the Braves become one of the most successful programs in the Mid-Columbia.

“Travis has done a lot for the Kamiakin wrestling program,” Anderson said. “The wrestlers who come out of his club are top-notch. I was in and out of his room in high school. At one time or another, he has some sort of impact on every wrestler in the Tri-Cities.”

Impressive rèsumès

All three wrestlers have worked hard to improve their grades and get their schoolwork done so they could go on the trip.

Their GPAs are all 3.6 or better, with Almaguer boasting a 4.0.

On the mat, they are just as impressive.

Almaguer placed third at the 3A state tournament at 120 pounds in February. Halo was third at 160 pounds, and Olson was second at the 3A district tournament, but broke his hand and missed out on regionals. The Braves finished third at state in the 3A team standings.

“Austin’s work ethic has been unmatched,” Anderson said. “Jacob goes out and gets the work done with as few words as possible. Sione came in at 180 last year, and we had to get his weight under control. He is lean and mean now. They are all great leaders for us.”

This story was originally published October 27, 2017 at 7:30 PM with the headline "As kids they wanted to wrestle the best in the world. Now they are."