Grappling Greatness
Jackson Bradley, a senior at Cowan High School, is June’s Male Student Athlete of the Month, sponsored by IU Health. Wrestling, to Bradley, comes as naturally as breathing. The sport has always been a part of his life, and it’s evident he has a talent for it.
“I’ve always loved it. I’ve always done it; I don’t even remember when I started. I would say my dad has been my biggest mentor,” Bradley says.
A former wrestler himself, Bradley’s father, Casey Bradley, has an impressive participation and coaching résumé. A graduate of Muncie Southside High School, the elder Bradley went on to wrestle for the team at Limestone University in Gaffney, South Carolina, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education and coaching. From there, he went on to become the assistant wrestling coach at Wabash College in Crawfordsville and Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. Currently, he is the head wrestling coach at Cowan.
The younger Bradley holds some impressive records. During his high school wrestling career, he racked up 148 wins and only 10 losses, giving him the highest winning percentage in the school’s history. He is a four-time Indiana High School Athletic Association state place-winner. He holds the distinction of being the first wrestler from Cowan to be a semifinalist at state.
“What’s good about wrestling is that it teaches you a lot of life skills. What you put in it is what you get out of it. It’s a one-on-one individual sport. If you win or lose, you can’t blame anyone but yourself,” Bradley says.
“I’ve had a few little injuries here and there over the years. Sometimes I’m not always feeling 100%, but the biggest challenges are mental. It’s the grind. You must give 100%, and that’s not always easy. But it’s 100% worth it,” Bradley says.
Maintaining his weight class has never been an issue for Bradley, although for some athletes it is a struggle. Each year his weight class went up but has stayed the same during his junior and senior years. He began his career leaning toward lightweight status but finished in the midweight range. As a freshman, his level was 126, then 132 as a sophomore, and currently it is at 157.
Matches at the different weight classes might look a bit different to the observer. Speed and agility are important in lower weight levels. Wrestlers weighing in the middle are also quick and flexible but add strength and positioning to the mix.
Regardless of weight class, there are many moves a wrestler needs to know how to do. Each move is worth points. They must act defensively at times by making their arm limp or countering with a leg attack. To escape or reverse, they learn to roll, switch or stand up. It’s important to be able to take down an opponent by bringing them to the mat via leg takedowns, ducking under or doing a move called a fireman’s carry.
The most important moves a wrestler needs to know are those that lead to pinning an opponent. Some are half and full nelsons, cradles or guillotines. A pin, when the opponent’s shoulders are flat on the mat for two seconds, is the goal in wrestling; it ends the match regardless of the score. For a wrestler, there is no better sound than the referee slapping the mat to indicate the pin has happened.
His friends would describe him as super serious, especially about wrestling. However, he does have a humorous side when it comes to his 3-month-old puppy, Eddie, who Bradley describes as a “mini wiener dog.” In addition to wrestling, Bradley is a member of Key Club and participates in his church’s youth group at Life Point Church in Muncie.
Bradley has been on the A/B honor roll during his four years at Cowan. After graduation, he will attend Purdue University, where he has committed to the wrestling team. He plans to pursue a degree in biology with the end goal of working in the medical field.
“My advice is stick with it. Have fun. Cut it loose. Two things really stood out during my senior year. The first was placing with my good friend Aston Gooney when we both went to state. The second is making the finals with my dad as my coach,” Bradley says.
