It all started with a roadtrip….
Top: I officially wore them out with my banter! Bottom: Our traveling party in Tulsa!
I’m March of 2023, a few unrealized dreams began to take shape. Logan, Homie, Coach JG, Adam and Myself embarked on a road-trip to the NCAA Division One Wrestling Championships. It’s where JV takes may have got its start or it’s where I finally convinced Logan that our great wrestling takes need to be shared.
Being new to College wrestling in the last few years, I didn’t know what to expect as I agreed to go to D1’s. I thought it would be fun to watch Bailee but other than that I thought it might get a little long. I was wrong. From the minute we arrived at our hotel you could see and feel the buzz. Wrestling fans everywhere!
The tournament played out just like Logan predicated. No upsets, all seeds held true and it was pretty boring. Not so much. I screamed at Logan from Des Moines to Kansas City that Spencer Lee is not a lock to win it; a favorite but not a lock. This led to a couple brackets being filled out. I now have receipts that I am a greater wrestling mind. I digress.
Wrestling is a family and it never revealed itself more than during that weekend. As I walked the streets, the event center and hotel it was a constant reminder how small our community is. Section One was represented in almost every conversation. From the breakfast conversation with a random (to me) Penn State special education teacher who couldn’t have said more nice things about the Berges. (His son won the 184 weight class later that day - Maybe I should pay attention more) Or pretty much every person that asked us about Minnesota wrestling and the conversation led to them telling us how much they like watching that “O’Reilly” kid.
That “O’Reilly” kid was Bailee O’Reilly from Goodhue, Minnesota in Section One and the real origin of how JV Takes came to be. If it wasn’t for his years of sacrifice, dedication and being a genuine ambassador to the sport, none of this would have came to life. I never would have jumped in a van to check out D1’s and I never would have had hours of conversation with Logan. This is just the most recent story of how the great people associated with Section One wrestling have impacted my journey. I am sure every single person reading or listening has a story that’s similar to mine that made them into the wrestler, fan, coach or parent they are today.
I can’t wait to share and hear other Section One wrestling stories!
Kyle
The Goodhue contingent representing in Tulsa!
