BELGRADE -- To be a successful wrestler, you apparently need a certain mindset, according to Belgrade's Carter Schmidt.
“It seems like everybody is a little bit crazy that’s good at wrestling,” smiled Schmidt.
If you have to be a little crazy, then consider Schmidt nuts. The freshman went to the Tom LeProwse wrestling tournament in Bozeman and breezed through the competition, taking first in the 113-pound division.
“It was exciting. I’ve been going to that tournament since I was little and just watching Leif (Schroeder) and John (Mears) wrestle," Schmidt said. "It was so cool to think that there were that many people there just to watch that one match.”
But the success isn’t much of a surprise to those within the Panther’s program.
“We knew this was coming, he’s been working for years now to get as good as he can at his craft," said Belgrade head wrestling coach Sean Dellwo. "But he’s even exceeding out expectations right now.”
Schmidt has even bigger goals set for himself. Be a member of the exclusive four-time state champions club in Montana.
“I’ve wanted to be a four-timer since I was really little, since I figured out what winning four was. And I’ve just always wanted that,” Schmidt said.
And he could be following in the footsteps of his fellow teammate John Mears, who is currently a three-time state champion in Montana.