Wrestler Of The Week: Kyle Colling

Courtesy Miranda Tomlinson ‘17

Last weekend at the Chicago Quad, redshirt junior Kyle Colling went undefeated in the heavyweight class, topping each of his three opponents. Not only did he go undefeated, but Colling also accomplished his victories without wrestling in 18 months.

Per his accomplishments, Colling has been named ASU Wrestler of the Week by head coach Shawn Charles.

“It felt awesome to get back on the mat and compete in an actual match,” Colling said. “It’s a felling you can’t get anywhere else.”

Colling transferred to ASU from Oklahoma where he played football for the Sooners before deciding to follow his passion in wrestling. Even so, 18 months is a long time for any student-athlete to take off from a sport.

“I was out because I had a rough start to my college wrestling career with some injuries and personal issues, and I just felt like I needed a change,” Colling said of his move to Tempe.

In action on Nov. 16 in the Chicago suburbs, Colling picked up a 6-2 decision over then No. 8 Illinois’ Chris Lopez, and followed with an 8-4 decision over SIUE’s David Devine. Colling ended the day with a 9-0 major decision victory over Division II’s Ouachita Baptist University’s Nathan Jackson.

“It was nice to go undefeated but I have a lot bigger goals in mind so it wasn’t something I looked too far into,” Colling said.

This Sun Devil newcomer looks to become a key part of this season’s starting lineup, and it is evident that he is ready to go after his year and a half break from the mat. For every wrestler on the 2013-14 squad, their hard work has just begun.

“I want to get better with every week and every match this year so I can be on the top of that podium in March. I will look at what I need to improve on each week and make sure it’s my focus.”

This week, the Sun Devils are in action on the road, facing Bloomsburg in a dual match on Friday before participating in the Keystone Classic on Sunday.