Getting physical for competition may not be for some, but Lincoln Southeast (LSE) Senior Rylee Rauner is all down for wrestling. Wrestling has always been part of history. Introduced in 708 B.C. in Greece, the Olympics held what they called “Upright”,  an event to test the combat effectiveness of soldiers. It was for entertainment as well as a way to prove how effective one was. Now, Rauner enters this historical competition ready and eager to achieve great things.

Rauner was born and raised in Lincoln. He has always liked sports, from football to basketball he is very involved in athletics. He is very active in the fact that he has a steady workout routine. This routine involves lower body workouts on one day and upper body on the next. He is very eager to get going for wrestling this year and has prepared in depth for it. According to Rauner, wrestling is a little more complex than most think. 

When it comes to the logistics, there are different weight classes that range from 106 lbs to 285 lbs. To know what weight range you’re in, you get weighed and are put in that range. The trick is to keep your weight in that range, so you have to watch what you eat very carefully. More on that later. “When it comes to the match itself, there’s three periods”, according to Rauner. These periods are considered matches, it’s a best out of three to win. The way to win, either you can pin somebody, to get their shoulder blades to touch the ground, or you can win by points. Which are gained by “performance and your moves” among other things. 

Wrestling is all about the contact and how you can counter your opponent. It is a game for those who like the physical combat side and want to do a sport. Some people get a sort of exhilaration from it, that drives them to keep going, and this is why Rauner keeps going.  Even though he has been doing this for the past three years, Rauner hasn’t always been able or willing to do this. 

“My older brother really encouraged me to join,” Rauner said. “The coach at the time, Coach Bauer, also tried to get me to go out and eventually I kind of just gave in. I didn’t really want to at first then it’s pretty great now.”

At first, Rauner was skeptical about joining, considering the fact that it was a new sport to him and there was a lot of physicality. He remembered when he did wrestling back in 7th grade, and remembered that it wasn’t that bad. Even though it looks like it is a unique sport, it is a great test of strength and perseverance. 

“In a match I always try to keep in my head that I need to be in control.  Our coaches always tell us that you [have]  to keep wrestling till the period is over. I just try to keep that in my head and keep that mindset to not be so tired that [I] just give up at the very end,” Rauner said. 

Even though you have to be mentaly prepared for wrestling, there is physical maintenance as well. Rauner’s steady workout schedule is a product of this. Rauner’s schedule, he says, is focusing on a certain body muscle set every day. This helps him to get all his body worked out and not overtax it. Along with working out, Rauner also needs to eat right in order to be at his best. 

“[During] season, I kind of budget my eating. I’m not starving myself but sometimes I have to.  I’m budgeting what I eat and when I drink, and I have to kind of keep that down in order to stay where I need to be,” Rauner said. He also needs to watch out for foods that can impact his weight. These foods only hinder him and his ability to perform during the season. These foods can be: sugary items, energy drinks, and more of the sort. 

Within wrestling there are many things that need to happen in order to succeed, but Rauner believes he has it this year. He has lettered twice and won many matches. He knows what he needs to do and is more than willing to go the extra mile to get there. Wrestling has provided Rylee Rauner with another way to express himself safely and a way to grow up and safely get ready for the next step in his life. 

“I feel like it’s made me more of a responsible person and I guess you can say more mature person over the years,” Rauner said. “It’s given me a little bit more of a bigger insight on things and shows me just how to be a proper person. I mean, it’s just kind of helped me solidify that.”