The strange part about combat sports, as opposed to other kinds, is that raw records are less meaningful. While a winning record is essential if you even want to be considered for a team, it's far more important to look at who the wins and losses have been against. For example, if you only have three losses on your record, but those are the only three wrestlers you've ever faced who are any good, that's a problem.

You'll need to be at the very least in the top twenty-five for your weight class and in the state. You will also have to be a starter on your varsity team, which you should be anyway if you hit the first requirement.

Additionally, you should already have some solid experience in the big leagues. College coaches want athletes who have multiple high school tournament wins under their belts—if wrestlers wore belts, that is—who have competed for a state championship and in the FILA Junior Nationals…and who don't take summers off. That's right, they want athletes who have wrestled in summer tournaments. You're not a fan of vacations, are you?