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WHEELING - A two-time OVAC Ron Mauck Wrestling Tournament champion recently returned from the 88th annual National Prep Tournament after an appearance on the podium.
Brock Humphrey, a 113-pound sophomore at Linsly, finished fourth in his weight class in the event held inside the Stabler Athletic Convention Center at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.
Humphrey wrestled seven matches, winning five. Both losses came to Eric Bocanegra of Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J.
"He was pretty good," the No. 4 seed Humphrey, who entered the tournament ranked No. 19 by FloWrestling, said of the fifth seed. The first loss came in the quarterfinals, 2-0, on a tiebreaker 2, while the second came in the third-fourth place match, 4-0.
The 16-year-old Humphrey posted a pair of technical falls in the Round of 32 (18-1) and Round of 16 (15-0) over Kyrie Johnson of Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Va. and No. 13 Miles Molina of Gilman Academy in Baltimore, Md.
After his first setback, Humphrey bounced back with consolation round victories over No. 11 Jaxon Sgrulletta, 15-0 technical fall, of Green Farms Academy in Westport, Conn. and No. 8 Jacob Naylor, 8-1 decision, of McDonough Academy in Owings Mills, Md. In the consolation semifinal, Humphrey decisioned third-seeded Riley Wetzeler of Benedictine Prep School in Richmond, Va.
When asked how competing at events like this helps him locally, Humphrey said, "I look at every tournament the same, but definitely wrestling against better competition and higher ranked opponents gives me more confidence when I wrestle around here. I don't underestimate anyone."
He also credits his father, Brian who was an accomplished wrestler of his own during his days at Wheeling Park. He ran his record to 28-0 when he won the 2004 OVAC Tournament and was highly ranked in West Virginia at 119 pounds.
"He has helped me a lot. He watches film all the time scouting opponents and we practice together a lot," the younger Humphrey noted.
Brock said he likes to wrestle on his feet more than on the mat.
"I would say I'm a takedown guy," he added. "I'm decent on top, but I really like being on my feet for most of the match."
So, what does the future look like?
"I'm not sure what the future holds, but I want to win two more (OVAC Ron Mauck) Championships, and I also want to win some big-time matches in some big tournaments," he stressed.
This was his third trip to the National Prep Tournament, but only the second time he was able to compete.
"I went as an eighth-grader and lost in the blood round. I had trouble with my weight last year, but I've matured a lot and have been able to keep my weight under control," he explained. "Wrestling is brutal. You have to sacrifice some things, so there have been times when I've sacrificed going out to eat with my friends so I could keep my focus on my weight."
Despite his success, he didn't think it would come as soon as it did.
"Honestly, I thought I would be decent, but I never thought I'd be where I am now. I have made a lot of improvement since I started wrestling," he said. "I still have a lot to work on. My gas tank (stamina), both side shots ... there's so much to improve upon."
Humphrey would like to thank his practice partners, his mom (Kendall) and dad and Linsly wrestling coach Brian Valentine for always believing in him.
His next competition will come in April when he travels to Las Vegas for the U.S. Open at The Expo at World Market Center. It is considered one of USA Wrestling's top-tier events in the United States.