Central’s Mann ready to Cowboy up

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/BENJAMIN KRAIN --2/15/2014--
Tyler Mann, from Little Rock Central, celebrates after defeating Dane Shields, from Fayetteville, in the Class 6A-7A, 160 weight division of the high school state wrestling tournament. The victory is Mann's fourth straight championship.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/BENJAMIN KRAIN --2/15/2014-- Tyler Mann, from Little Rock Central, celebrates after defeating Dane Shields, from Fayetteville, in the Class 6A-7A, 160 weight division of the high school state wrestling tournament. The victory is Mann's fourth straight championship.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Considering his success, you wouldn’t expect Tyler Mann to have a case of the butterflies going into the final day of the Arkansas high school wrestling state tournament.

Yet there he was Saturday afternoon, a couple of hours before his final high school wrestling match, admitting to a case of nerves as he prepared to go after what only one other Arkansas wrestler had done before him.

“Nerves every time,” Mann said while waiting for the finals to begin at UALR’s Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock. “Every tournament is new. Every championships is amazing. Yeah, I’m nervous.”

Like always, it turned out the Little Rock Central senior didn’t have much reason to worry.

He won his 160-pound final against Fayetteville’s Dane Shields by a 20-5 technical fall in the third period. Mann didn’t pin Shields, like he had his three prior opponents, instead relying on a steady diet of takedowns.

He took down Shields four times in the first period, twice in the second and then scored a reversal in the third before scoring three near-fall points and a penalty point was added for Mann to secure the technical fall victory.

“That was the most fun I’ve had in so long,” Mann said. “It’s good to just let everything go, not care about the team score, not care about anything but closing the book.”

Mann completed a 40-0 season and became the second Arkansas wrestler to win four state championships at a sanctioned state tournament.

He capped his victory by raising four fingers in the air, then hugging his two brothers and parents near the mat as he concluded a high school career in which he went 111-1 over his final three seasons, with the only loss coming from a medical forfeit during his sophomore season.

Mann’s victory Saturday night capped what could be considered the most dominating career in Arkansas’ still-growing wrestling history.

“It’s almost like, ‘What else can you teach him?’” Central Coach Shawn Hickey said. “He’s got a great coach in Pat Smith, and he’s always trying to get better himself.”

In addition to wrestling at Central, Mann has worked out with Smith at the Arkansas Wrestling Academy since he was in the sixth grade. Wrestling there has allowed him to compete at national tournaments in Fargo, N.D., where two years ago he became the first Arkansas wrestler to place at the prestigious Junior National Championships. He didn’t place at that tournament last summer, but also competed in national tournaments in New Jersey and Iowa.

His ability to branch out and be successful at those tournaments has more to do with where Mann is headed than anything else, Hickey said. Mann signed last fall to wrestle for Oklahoma State, which is coached by Pat Smith’s brother John. Oklahoma State boasts 34 team national championships.

“He’s not going to Oklahoma State because he’s a four-time state champion in Arkansas,” Hickey said. “John Smith offered him a scholarship because he placed in those [national] tournaments.”

The accolades placed a sizable target on Mann this year. Hickey said opponents, trying to avoid getting pinned in the first period, wrestled defensively and rarely took shots to score points.

“That makes me feel good,” Mann said. “When people are looking on me, that’s when I wrestle my best. When the lights are on, I’m ready to go.”

When the lights finally shut off on his high school career Saturday night, he admitted to having bittersweet feelings, but he’s ready for his next challenge in Stillwater, Okla.

“You’re like, ‘Dang, a chapter in my life is over,’ ” Mann said. “Now it’s time to go be a Cowboy.”

Sports, Pages 28 on 02/16/2014