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by Jacob Cox
Section Editor
Three matches. Three solitary matches are all that Kasey Curtis, a senior wrestler at NS, has lost this year. With a record of 44-3, Curtis has shown his grit, and shown his love of the sport.
“Wrestling takes up ninety percent of my time,” said Curtis. “Ever since I was four or five I started, and ever since that time I’ve learned to love it, and I’ve learned to show a greater commitment to wrestling. It’s kind of just started to take up all my time because this year I want to do even better.”
Since the age of four, Curtis has been wrestling and learning to do well in his main sport. But where did his success come from this season?
“The thing Kasey does best is just elevating expectations for himself,” wrestling coach Cheyne Christensen said. “He’s never satisfied, and that’s what it takes to be the best. He only has three losses this season, and all three were out-of-state kids. We just had a duel against North Sevier, and Kasey won his match, but he wasn’t looking for a pat on the back. He immediately after the tournament asked what he could have done better so I called him out. If he had pinned his kid we would’ve tied. But he didn’t, so we lost the duel. He’s just the kind of kid that takes advice and tries to do better. It’s just who he is.”
Curtis has been everywhere with his wrestling. Whether it be to Virginia Beach, or Fargo, North Dakota, or just here in Utah, Curtis excels wherever he goes.
“He placed third at the Turf Wars this last year,” said Marcy Curtis, Kasey’s mother. “He wrestled a kid from Alaska who was a three-time state champion. He had never been beaten, and then Kasey beat him. He’s wrestled kids from all over the nation… I’m super proud of him for his work.”
Curtis has been working hard the past few years on his wrestling by going all around the country and wrestling. He discovered that it can be very challenging to wrestle, but at the same time, realized that he can compete with other kids from around the nation.
“The offseason was pretty packed for wrestling, I went to Virginia Beach, then tournaments in the state, then Las Vegas, then finally out to North Dakota for nationals,” Curtis said. “Nationals kind of opened up my eyes. I wrestled an All-American right off the bat, and he pretty much just whooped me, but it’s good because it lets me open up my eyes to know that I can be so much better and that there is always more work to do. But especially if you put up a good match with them, it makes you realize that like, ‘Oh, maybe I’m not as bad as I thought I was.’”
To many that know Curtis, they would use the word determination to describe him. Whether in his love for wrestling, or helping other people, Curtis is always determined in what he’s doing.
“Kasey is always working hard with his wrestling or just anything he’s doing,” said senior Dante Lowe, who serves with Curtis as an SBO. “Whenever I see him, he’s either just having a good time, or he’s out doing things for wrestling and for his sports, and I can just see the determination that he has to do well and just excel in what he’s doing.”
Curtis is also an example of leadership. In acting as both the NS Student Body Secretary and as a wrestling team captain, Curtis has been a leader to everyone around him.
“Kasey is always working hard in wrestling and also in his SBO position,” Christensen said. “Whenever I see him, he’s always working with the other kids. He’s always out there cheering them on during their matches or just during practice, he tries to lift them up and tries to get them to be a little better while he’s also trying to be better. As an SBO, I feel like he’s also just been doing a great job of helping to lead the students of North Sanpete, and make sure that they’re happy and having fun.”
