Takedown Report

NOTHING NEW TO HIM: Schultz Prepares for the 2023 Worlds

It is nothing new to Cohlton Schultz (130 kg, Sunkist). On September 21 — six days before his 23rd birthday — Schultz will compete in his seventh World Championship tournament. In other words, he has already appeared in more World events than could ever be availed to him at the NCAA Division I level. That is a lot of experience at such a young age, and all the more encouraging considering that he has yet to come remotely close to approaching his athletic prime.
Still, he lugs around the burden of attracting attention. That’s what happens when a wrestler is preceded by a long list of achievements. Schultz, as most are aware, won a Cadet World title in ’17, took bronze as a Junior in ’18, and silver in ’19. He has made the final of each and every US Senior Trials event for which he has been eligible since ascending onto the domestic top tier  — and in just four years, claims four National crowns. He is also in the last phase of preparation for his third-straight Senior Worlds. Add in how he was an NCAA Division I runner-up in ’22 and an All-American again this past college season — and combine all of that with his dominance as a high schooler — and you get why lofty expectations follow him wherever he goes.

None of this matters to him as much as it does to those who watch him work.

Schultz is, and has been since his early age-group days, a forward-thinker. He wants to keep things moving, but not in a manner that suggests indifference with regards to his keynote accomplishments. It is more that he simply loves competing, loves the sport, and uses prior successes as datasets for improvement. Because he cares so deeply about just being able to compete well, Schultz does not take for granted the ability and opportunity to figure out ways to grow in either his skill-set or understanding of what it takes to conquer new objectives. To him, that’s pretty much the point of the whole thing. He has objectives and wants to reach them, but not at the expense of obscuring the sheer enjoyment of wrestling itself.

So, here he is, less than two days out from departing Colorado for France, where the USA Greco-Roman World Team will acclimate a little, train a little, and then head over to Belgrade to conduct business like professionals. Schultz knows this routine quite very well. He likes it, to a degree. No one gets a charge out of being stuck on a long cross-Atlantic flights and having to shake loose the effects of jet lag, but knowing that there is the chance for a World medal as well as qualifying the weight for the Paris Olympics makes it easier. Once in-country, he will adapt to the temporary rhythms put in place and soon toss on the blinders. … rest of story at … Fivepointmove.com/usa-greco/cohlton-schultz-2023-world-championships

September 20, 2023 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized