Part Three of Four – Generation Next: Hunter Collins – GHS
Sophomore Wrestler
Though he’s already made history on the California high school wrestling scene, sophomore Hunter Collins isn’t satisfied – and won’t be until all his goals are achieved.
Last year, Collins became the first freshman ever to medal at the California Interscholastic Federation State Wrestling Championships in a weight class above 152 pounds.
“I’ve improved in some areas, but I still have a lot to improve,” said Collins about transitioning to his sophomore season. “I’m not whole yet. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
What would make Collins, a 6-foot, 171-pound 15-year-old who is already described by Gilroy head coach Armando Gonzalez as a wrestler in top physical condition, whole?
Ultimately, it would be to win the state title in each of his next three years. This year, Collins, who was the first-ever Gilroy wrestler to place as a freshman at state, has continued to make headway toward that goal. He’s currently ranked No. 2 in the state at 171, behind Central Catholic’s Louis Bland. According to Wrestling USA Magazine’s latest rankings, Bland was the top sophomore at 171. Collins was ranked fourth.
Last week at the Reno Tournament of Champions, one of the toughest national tournaments, Collins took fifth in the 171-pound bracket. That was an improvement on his result as a sophomore, ninth place at 160 pounds.
Despite his youth, Collins, who was a linebacker and fullback on the Gilroy varsity football team, has a huge physical presence on the mat. When matches come down to brute physical strength and stamina, it’s often just a matter of Collins wearing down opponents, according to Gonzalez.
“He really pushes the tempo,” Gonzalez said. “He’s very intense and focused.”
Though he now prides himself on out-conditioning his opponents, Collins didn’t always embrace the physical demands of wrestling.
“I joined wrestling because I thought I wouldn’t have to run,” said Collins, who has wrestled for Gonzalez and the Gilroy Hawks since he was seven. “It turns out we run as much as any sport.
“I was a little disappointed in that,” he laughed.
But it might be Collins’ mental focus and strength that really separates him from the pack.
Before matches, his routine is the same. Collins paces back and forth, staring at the ground until his match is about to start. Running through his mind are all the scenarios that could play out against his upcoming opponent.
“I’m thinking, ‘If I do this, he might do this. And if he does this, I’ll counter with this,'” Collins said. “I go through the whole match before I even step on the mat.”
Sometimes, when the sophomore knows he’ll be going up against a particularly tough opponent, he’ll begin thinking about the match days before so that by the time he actually hits the mat, he has “already wrestled it 100 times.”
Collins considers his mental preparation to be what helps him come out on top in close matches.
The wrestler pointed out his match with Monta Vista senior Dan Montanez in last year’s Central Coast Section 160-pound finals. Montanez picked up a point on an escape with 15 seconds to go which tied the score at two. Collins, however, didn’t let up and scored on a takedown in the waning seconds to win 3-2.
“You have to get to a mental state where you won’t break. (Once you break), there’s nothing you can do about it,” Collins said. “There have been a lot of matches where I’ve been really close. Even though I was tied up, I didn’t panic. If I don’t break, I can still win matches.”
And in the next three years, maybe a state title.
