Junior, Lake Catholic High School
With a mix of deftness and power, Freeman became the first sophomore in Lake Catholic history to win a state wrestling title when he defeated Claymont’s Lane Peters in the 132-pound final in March. With Freeman’s title and four other state finishers, the Cougars placed third overall in Division II. Seeds of victory: As a freshman, the Hinckley resident finished sixth in the state. “It motivated me,” Freeman says. Entering high school, he didn’t fully understand what it took to be the best. “I still trained like a middle schooler,” he says. “Going from ninth to 10th, I knew I had to train harder and put the work in.” A long road: Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Jordan, Freeman first hit the mat at age 7. “It was usually a lot of older kids,” he says. But it’s paid off now as he competes against upperclassmen. “It gets you more physically prepared.” No vacation: Freeman’s summer break wasn’t much of one at all. He trained regularly with the wrestling team at Brecksville High School, which won a Division I title in 2015. “Every coach has something different to teach,” says Freeman. A couple college wrestlers attend the workouts too, providing Freeman with high-level training partners. “They usually beat me because they’re in college,” he says laughing. “But it’s a humbling thing.” Lesson plan: Wrestling has taught Freeman discipline and determination. “Sometimes you’ve got to cut weight when you don’t want to or you’ve got to run when you don’t want to run,” he says. That comes in handy at 10 p.m. after a long day at school and practice with a mess of homework left to be completed. “Wrestling helps you stay focused and accomplish those things.” Answer man: Like his goal-oriented approach to wrestling, Freeman also enjoys math in the classroom. “There’s always a direct answer,” he says. “Two plus two is always four.” Just for kicks: Since starting high school, Freeman has become a bit of a sneakerhead. “I have about 10 pairs of street shoes and then five wrestling shoes,” he says. His collection’s crown jewel is a pair of rare, black-and-gold Asics Rulon wrestling shoes, a style named after 2000 Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner. “I bought them from a kid at tournament.”
