By Rob Sherrill, W.I.N. High School Editor
Watch any major tournament and you’ll see as many different styles and personalities as you see wrestlers.
Some are technically perfect. Some cut you down to size with the precision of a surgeon. And some just pound you physically.
But watch Connor McDonald on the mat and you see someone just made for the sport.
Wrestling plays no favorites and little guys can experience every bit of the success the big guys can. That’s one of the reasons McDonald has been so successful.
Even in wrestling, however, some athletes stand out for one simple reason: the pure joy with which they seem to approach each match. If you saw McDonald as he progressed to his Junior National freestyle title at Fargo this summer, you couldn’t help but notice his intensity … and his sheer joy at winning the 112-pound crown.
As he heads into his senior season at Georgetown Sussex Central High, the two-time state champion — a little guy from a little state — has beaten the odds, winning both Cadet and Junior titles. Delaware’s beaten the odds, too.
Seven wrestlers from the First State are ranked in W.I.N.’s preseason individual rankings, placing Delaware 14th among the nation’s 48 wrestling states.
McDonald became the first Class of 2007 recruit to announce that he would attend Lehigh University, selecting the Mountain Hawks over Indiana, Illinois, Maryland and Virginia Tech.
Recently, W.I.N. caught up with McDonald for this candid interview.
W.I.N.: Congratulations on your commitment to Lehigh. What, in the final analysis, made Lehigh your choice?
McDonald: I got letters from tons of schools, obviously. The two that it really came down to at the end were Lehigh and Indiana. For me, the two schools were almost completely similar to what I wanted. But when it came down to it, Lehigh was the place because of, first, the wrestling atmosphere, and also being close to home for me. Plus, it’s a top five-ranked program in the country. Not to say Indiana isn’t … it’s an awesome program, (assistant) Coach (Mike) Mena is an awesome coach, an awesome guy and I respect him very highly.
W.I.N.: It had to be difficult saying no, didn’t it?
McDonald: This whole process is very hard. The hardest part about it is when you develop a relationship with the five guys that you’re going to go on official visits with and, at the end, you’ve got to tell some of them, ‘Thanks a lot and you didn’t waste your time, but…” That’s kind of hard.
W.I.N.: Lehigh (lower-weight assistant) coach (Tim) Dernlan really had a positive effect on you, didn’t he?
McDonald: The way I can describe Coach Dernlan is that he’s witty and he’s got a lot of energy. He’s 135 pounds soaking wet, so he’s the perfect lightweight coach. He’s got a lot of energy, which I need, because I’m a pretty high-energy guy. He really put all his eggs in my basket in the hope that Lehigh would get me, and I really respected him for that.
I’ve actually been coached by the Dernlan family — his brothers — since I was young and I liked his brothers a lot. I liked him a lot and it seemed like a great atmosphere for me.
W.I.N.: You’re not the biggest guy in the world, even for a 125-pound prospect. Did any of the coaches who recruited you express any concerns about your size?
McDonald: There were no concerns about my size, though I have been asked that question. The answer I’ve got for that is my frame is big enough that I can develop into a college 125-pounder. I have to hope that that happens — it’s not an overnight process — but to take a guy like me, who weighs 125 pounds soaking wet, and putting your faith in that I’m going to grow into a 125-pounder shows a lot of character.
W.I.N.: A lot of coaches are out there recruiting 119- and 125-pounders to wrestle 125, and then it’s, ‘Gee, that guy grew. What happened?’ So with the frame you’ve got, you’re obviously perfect for the weight and for the long term.
McDonald: I know I’m going to be a four-year 125-pounder for any university I pick to attend and when you’re recruiting a bigger guy for that weight, for a year or two that might be a good situation, but you’ve got to look at how a guy’s going to grow. I’m not going to weigh more than 140 when I’m 25. I’m not going to grow out of the weight. Therefore, for most college coaches, it’s worth the risk.
W.I.N.: There are so many different personalities in wrestling. There are guys like (Illinois’) Albert White with his surgical precision. Then there are guys that are really physical. One thing I notice about you — the thing I think anyone notices — is that you seem to wrestle for the pure joy of it.
McDonald: Wrestling has always been about passion. My father is the kind of guy who always says, ‘Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you. If you want to take a break, just tell me and we’ll take a break.’ If I’m getting fed up with the sport, I have no problem. I took three months off before I started training for Fargo.
I love the sport because I’m not forced to do it. I feel really free when I’m out on the mat. I don’t know if you’ve seen me in action, but…
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