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Making a Champion

Author: Mindy Wood
Issue: 2008 March

There is a group of kids in town who mean business when it comes to the wrestling mat. The Shawnee Take Down Club wrestlers are serious competitors, building skill, strength and a bright future.

Easton Rendleman took first place in the Open Championship during the 32nd annual USJOC (United States Junior Open) tournament last month. Easton, nine years old and weighing in at 90 lbs., has also won first place for the last two years in the novice competition. Conquering the Open, this year he qualifies to go to the World Championship in Reno, Nevada in April.

The club is an elementary version of a high school program—a very competitive league. “It’s not like the City league where they introduce wrestling to children,” says Easton’s mother, Misty Rendleman and STC board member. “Most of these kids already know what they’re doing and are competing every Saturday, sometimes every Friday and Saturday. They start about five years old and at 15 years old we hand them over to the middle school.”

STC Coaches, Chad Humphrey, Tracey Cawvey, Scott Killgore, Chris Daniels, James Mankin, Josh Hilton, and Patrick McGowen all volunteer. “Everybody donates their time,” says Chad Humphrey, “and the parents are the reason for the success of the program. Their involvement is tremendous.”

Shawnee High School allows STC to use their facilities. Junior high coaches, Larry James and Jason Merrell and high school coach, Jeff Chamblin support the club and welcome the experienced wrestlers.

Students who excel in the program have opportunities ahead of them. “There were recruiters at the state ground arena watching older wrestlers for college scholarships,” said Rendleman. “That opportunity will pay for his college, if he likes it.”
“Every year the high school has a couple of students who get scholarships. It gives kids an opportunity to go to college who wouldn’t otherwise get that chance,” says Coach Humphrey.

As for Easton, Misty Rendleman said the choice is always up to him. “We ask him every year, ‘Are we going to wrestle this year?’” Easton has participated three years and says his wrestling heroes are Aaron Smith and Gary Frazier who both graduated last year from Shawnee High School with scholarships.

Wrestling is an entirely different kind of sport, and according to Rendleman it’s taught Easton discipline, strength and balance. “It’s one on one. They compete against each other. It’s not like he has a team pulling for him where you pass the ball to someone else. He knows if he wants to win he has to follow instructions and remember what he’s learned. It’s not just brute strength; it’s thinking about moves and what comes next.”

“Easton is a hard working kid and dedicated,” said Coach Humphrey. “We haven’t had a wrestler win in the USJOC open since I’ve been here in eight years. It’s tough to place in that tournament at all because there are so many kids that come out of state.”

STC winners in last month’s Choctaw Novice State Tournament for Division 1 were: Scout Cawvey, 1st place; Creed Killgore, Jalon Martinez, and Tyler Bingham took 5th place; Brian McGowen, 6th place. In Division 2 were Landin Hall, 2nd place, and in Division 3, Tyler Womack took 1st place and Charlie Shephard 2nd place. In Divison 4 were Ryan Goodfox and Chris Cunnish winning 3rd place.

“It’s an honor to coach these kids,” said Coach Tracey Cawvey. “It takes a lot of heart and determination to wrestle and it teaches them leadership and discipline.”

For more information on the STC visit them online at www.shawneetakedownclub.com or email misty.rendleman@sbcglobal.net.