There is one word Fluvanna County High School wrestling coach Craig Conner uses to describe star wrestler Justin Zimmerman.
“Determination,” Conner said. “He has got a lot of determination to get where he has gotten to.”
Zimmerman, a junior for the Flucos who has wrestled since the seventh grade, has already engraved his name into the school’s record books.
After qualifying for the state tournament a year ago at 103 pounds and finishing in sixth place, the 16-year-old wrestled up a weight class to help out his team this season, wrestling at 120. Then, on Jan. 7, Zimmerman won his 100th match against William Monroe.
“It made me feel really accomplished,” said Zimmerman, who became the third wrestler in school history to accomplish the feat. “It was a big milestone in my career. Not many people can do that. It was a pretty big deal.”
Zimmerman’s coach credits him for training hard each day.
“He has definitely worked hard all year long to get to where he is,” Conner said. “For me, 100 wins in wrestling, for us being a young program, it’s pretty impressive considering that we don’t wrestle 60 matches a year. In three years of high school wrestling, he has been above average.”
Zimmerman’s nerves grew the closer he came to reaching the milestone.
“I was pretty nervous,” he said. “I was anxious. I was imposing my will [in the clinching match]. It was pretty dominant.”
All along, his coach wanted to test him to make him better as his career went on.
“I set up a pretty difficult schedule,” Conner said. “He has wrestled some of the better kids on the East Coast. He had a couple losses; it was good for him. If a kid is good, he wants to wrestle him.”
Now, Zimmerman’s coach looks for him to continue the success the rest of the season and head into the postseason with momentum.
“I think his chances for a state championship, things are going to have to go in his favor,” Conner said. “He is going to have to work hard. To place in the top three? Very doable. There are a couple young men in his weight class that are seniors and quality wrestlers.
“My goal for him would be placing in the top three. Now next year, he might be looking to have an undefeated season.”
At 30-6 on the year and 102-20 in his career heading into Friday, Zimmerman only expects the best from himself.
“My goal is to place top three [in states] and hopefully win it,” he said of this season. “I feel like next year, when I’m filled out, I should go undefeated and win it all.”
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