Future of BSU wrestling in good hands with freshman Nuttall
Thomas Goodale
Staff Writer
Passion is one of the most powerful driving forces of a person, and Bridgewater State University’s own Dylan Nuttall has tapped into that passion.
A freshman at 125 pounds, Nuttall stands strong among a wavering BSU wrestling team, standing at 0-5 in the Pilgrim Wrestling League, and 3-13 overall. Nuttall’s perseverance and dedication has earned him great recognition as the number-six ranked wrestler in the New England Wrestling Association, supported by his excellent 73 percent winning percentage this season.
“It feels great to represent BSU, being the only guy ranked in the top six but rankings don’t really mean anything,” said Nuttall, referencing that there’s still a lot of work to be done. “Anything can happen in the postseason.”
After hearing what Nuttall had to say, it comes as no surprise that he is one of top ranked wrestlers in New England. His work ethic is exceptional, and he’s always pushing to get to the next level. He’s not afraid to get out of his comfort zone; his hometown is in Pennsylvania, so he came out a long way just to come to Bridgewater State.
“You push yourself to limits you’d never think you’d be able to go,” said Nuttall when describing the kind of hard work the wrestling team goes through. “Us wrestlers have to deal with the hard gritty practices at least 5 days of the week. Plus the multiple workouts each of us get on our own whether it’s lifting or doing some sort of cardio to lose some extra weight.”
Nuttall’s work ethic has been recognized this season, being named the NEWA Rookie Wrestler of the Week for the week of November 25th, 2015. He’s not the type to brag, however. When asked about his success as a freshman coming in, all he had to say was, “I’ve been putting in a lot of work throughout the years and it’s finally somewhat paying off.”
This is a man with a goal on his mind, and that goal is to keep working harder and harder every practice, every match, every season, every year. Ranked sixth overall? Push for fifth. Won rookie of the week? Win it again next week. That’s the kind of mindset Nuttall has, and that’s the kind of mindset that drives him towards great success.
“The grind does many things. It beats you up, knocks you down but the best part of the grind is it picks you up. When you feel like you can’t push yourself anymore the grind has your back, pushing you through defeat. The grind doesn’t allow you to quit and that’s what’s the best about the grind in wrestling.”
This is the kind of future Bridgewater State University’s wrestling team has. Dylan Nuttall is just a freshman, and he’s already got the mindset of a leader and a winner. The team may be 3-13 this season, but the grind will put them back on top.
Like Nuttall said, anything can happen in the postseason. This Saturday February 27th, at 10 a.m. BSU will travel to Springfield College as the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament begins. Back to square one. Ranked #6, #1 or #50, Dylan Nuttall has one thing set on his mind.
“Grind.”
Thomas Goodale is a Staff Writer for The Comment.
