Not many freshmen qualify for the State Wrestling Tournament, let alone make the podium.

Out of nine freshmen who qualified for state this year, only two made the finals, and one of them was Thayer Atkins of Lake Highlands High School.

For Atkins, he had little to lose in his final match of the season. While competing for an upgrade on the podium, in reality, Atkins had already won.

Matched up against senior Sean Ambrocio from San Antonio Reagan in the 3rd/4th place match, the youthful Atkins might have been caught up in the spotlight of the biggest wrestling stage the state of Texas has to offer. Or, perhaps he was simply over matched by a superior and more experienced opponent.

Either way, the loss by pin in the first period means very little in the grand scheme of things.

Without much fanfare, Atkins has carved out the beginning of what has the potential to be a memorable high school wrestling career.

As just a freshman, he finished 4-2 at the State Tournament and with an overall record of 48-7 for the season. Atkins cemented his name in the record books by being the first Lake Highlands freshman to qualify for the state and with his performance he also added the All-State moniker to his resume.

"Since Lake Highlands has produced so many great wrestlers and several state champs, it's a surprise and honor to be the first freshman to not only qualify for state, but also to place," Atkins said after the tournament.

"Overall, I thought I had a good season. God was gracious to bless my hard work. I'm disappointed that I didn't place higher but my last match didn't go the way I wanted it to. It does gives me something to build on for next year though. I want to honor God first and thank my family, coaches, and teammates. Nobody achieves anything without lots of help."

Congratulations to Thayer and the rest of the LHHS wrestling team on a great season!

Click the link to view the final results and brackets: Final brackets.

GO ‘CATS!