KAUKAUNA — The Kaukauna wrestling team is trying to do something special this year, that’s win three straight state titles.
One of their wrestlers is attempting to etch his name in the Wisconsin high school history books, a feat that only a few have accomplished.
“By the numbers, he has a chance to be considered one of the greatest of all time here,” said Kaukauna head coach Jeff Matczak.
Senior Greyson Clark is already considered one of the best wrestlers to ever come through Kaukauna. He’s won not one, not two, but three straight state titles and now he’s looking for his fourth next month in Madison.
“I’m enjoying it,” he said. I’m just living where my feet are at right now. I’m trying to just always be in the moment, I don’t want to look too far ahead or in the past.”
Not bad for a young man whose parents never even wanted him to wrestle in the first place.
“My parents didn’t really want me to wrestle,” said Clark. “My dad wrestled in high school and they knew how hard it was. They tried to keep me away from it. I naturally found my way towards it, it’s been ever since I enjoyed it and spent a lot of time doing it.”
Clark admits, he’s never been good with a ball in his hands and that’s why he gravitated towards wrestling.
“I’m just not good with a ball, I’m not coordinated enough,” he said. “I’m pretty clumsy. Anybody who knows me knows that. It’s just the combat, I like the wrestling, I like all that so it was just meant to be.”
A technician in his craft, it’s countless hours on the mat, and the lessons he’s learned along the way to be able to get to this point.
“ I love finding mistakes to work on bring back to practice and brainstorm with the coaches whether that's (Matczak) or whoever it might be,” Clark said. “I love getting pushed, I love making mistakes because I love to learn from them and become a better wrestler.”
He gives a lot of credit for his success to his teammates and of course, his Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Fame head coach Jeff Matczak.
“Just the amount that he does for this program – whether it’s coming in in the summer or shooting you a text in the summer when he knows you’re feeling down,” Clark said. “He just knows what to do, when to say it. I just trust that man – trust him with my life so it’s helped a lot.”
Despite looking for his fourth straight individual state title, Clark says, winning a state title as a team is a better feeling.
“They’re completely different feelings, but I like the team one because you get to see guys that don’t necessarily don't get that chance at individual state and they get that team state title,” he said. “It's a cool feeling. Everyone's excited. Everyone’s happy and that’s what we work hard up in this room for.”
The senior has plenty of wrestling ahead of him. He’s headed to Purdue next fall. Wrestling in the Big Ten will be a dream come true.
“8 years ago there’s this picture of me sitting in the Kohl Center up in the nosebleeds watching the finals and someday I wanted to be that kid,” said the Kaukauna senior. “I wanted to be that and it meant a lot.”
And regardless of how his high school career finishes, his favorite thing about wrestling is the friendships he’s made along the way.
“I was looking back through my camera roll the other day with my parents and there’s still kids that I still know and talk to from third grade – practice partners. I made a lot of friends and been to a lot of places and I will always be very grateful for that,” said Clark.
