BENTONVILLE — Bentonville junior Jared Conover admitted being a newcomer to wrestling last season was tough.
He struggled early learning the sport but adapted and progressed as the season went on.
Profile
Jared Conover
School: Bentonville
Height: 6-1
Weight: 274
Class: Senior
Notable: Won the 7A-West Conference tournament and finished fifth at the 6A-7A state tournament last year. ... Has two wins this season over Springdale Har-Bers Ty Harrison, 6A-7A state runnerup in heavyweight division.
The beginning was really frustrating, Conover said. I got pinned a lot. About halfway through the season, I started picking it up.
Conover earned his first medal by winning the heavyweight division at the 7A-West Conference tournament. But he became ill the week of the state tournament and finished a disappointing fifth.
I ended up losing eight pounds, Conover said. It was horrible. I couldnt eat. All I did was wrestle and then go sleep.
He has used that disappointment as a motivational tool for this season.
Conovers off to a 21-3 start and already has two victories over Springdale Har-Bers Ty Harrison, the defending Class 6A-7A state runnerup.
Bentonville wrestling coach Bill Desler and Tigers assistant Steve Grigsby agreed Conover has added size and strength, but more importantly, he has added confidence.
He doesnt get in bad positions now, Desler said. Hes learned, and it was starting to show at the end of the season last year.
Grigsby agreed.
He came into this season with the goal of being a state champion, he said. Last year he wasnt sure if he would like it. But hes worked hard.
One of Conovers problems was he was undersized wrestling in the 285-pound weight class a year ago.
He weighed in at 238, which meant many of his opponents had at least a 40-pound weight advantage. Conover has added 35 pounds and significant strength thanks to offseason weight training.
His success on the mat has come on the heels of earning all-conference honors for the Tigers on the football field in the fall.
Conover, a two-year starter at defensive end, said wrestling definitely helped him in football.
Really, the two sports go hand-in-hand, Conover said. Im a lot more patient on the mat. Wrestlings a lot of mental toughness. You learn self reliance and to trust your instincts.
Playing defensive line, its like going against those big offensive linemen when you wrestle.
Desler even heard positive comments from the Bentonville football coaches.
He was doing things on the football field this season, Desler said. Even the coaches were saying Thats a hip toss. So its working for him.
Bentonville defensive line coach Tony Cherico also wrestled in high school and coached wrestling in Texas before joining Barry Lunneys staff in 2006.
Cherico, a three-time All-Southwest Conference pick and All-America selection in 1987 at Arkansas, said wrestling had plenty to do with Conovers progress on the football field.
Wrestling is a great complement to football, Cherico said. The heavyweights learn leverage against opponents. It helped his flexibility and stamina.
He really had a good year for us on the football field, and I think wrestling helped him tremendously. He had a brutal schedule in wrestling early, going out of state, and I think that will pay dividends here late in the season.