Trey Waltz has won back-to-back sectional titles, but adding another to his name this weekend would be even more special.
The Mountain View 138-pound senior wrestler has a chance to close out his regional career in front of a home crowd — a privilege usually reserved for wrestlers at Flowing Wells. The Mountain Lions host Saturday’s Division II, Section II state-qualifying meet, with the first session scheduled for 10 a.m.
While a state championship has eluded Waltz to this point, all signs point to another deep run for the two-time state placer.
“He’s hungry,” Mountain View coach P.J. Ponce said. “He hasn’t won the big title yet, and he’s had his sights set on that since freshman year. He got a little taste of it his sophomore year. Last year, he was battling injuries. He comes in every day with state on his mind.”
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Waltz, a four-year varsity starter, finished as the 126-pound runner-up in 2014. He was dinged up heading into state a year ago as a junior, and battled his way to a fifth-place finish at 132 pounds.
“Last year was kind of a setback, but I tried to see past that and work on my mistakes,” said Waltz, who is 36-4 and has not lost a match within his division. “I put in more time over the summer. It gives you that extra motivation to push through when times get tough.”
Waltz wrestled to a 1-2 finish as a freshman at state in 2013. He was able to train with his two older brothers that year, and spent time learning from and drilling against Bailey Janis, a two-time 113-pound state champion who was then a senior.
As a senior, Waltz finished second at the Flowing Wells Invitational, while walking away with the Nelson Penrod Award, given out to a deserving senior who embodies all the best traits of what a wrestler should be.
“His work ethic and dedication to the program really stick out,” Ponce said. “A kid like him only comes through every so often.”
A strong performance at Flowing Wells is usually an indicator of good things to come. It’s one of the toughest, if not the toughest, regular-season tournaments in the state. He failed to place at the event as a junior. Then, in 2014, Waltz placed fourth at Flowing Wells just weeks prior to finishing as the state runner-up.
The loss at Flowing Wells came against a Division I opponent he will not be seeing at the state meet next weekend in Prescott Valley.
Waltz is determined to go out on top, and has been working on his bottom position since the 10-2 loss.
“At state, there are always upsets,” Waltz said. “Knowing where you’ve placed before, guys come at you a little harder. You don’t want to be that upset.”
