Brynn Barker '23 Recruiting Profile

I first started wrestling for a freestyle club team when I was 9 because I saw my older brother practicing, I later moved on to compete in folkstyle.  I was a member of club wrestling teams up until 8th grade when I went on a short hiatus due to a neck injury I got at the Montana Open (I have since fully recovered and been cleared for competition). However, I never distanced myself from the sport. During my freshman and sophomore years I acted as the manager for my high school’s newly formed wrestling team. At the start of my junior year I resolved to begin competing again and I was welcomed onto the team by coaches who treated every athlete with respect and encouragement. In the last year my ambition for success in this sport has only increased, I do all I can to recognize my shortcomings, be responsive to criticism, and maintain my passion for the sport. I adore wrestling’s ability to consolidate people into a community that celebrates, encourages, and builds each other up. For myself, wrestling has become a source of confidence, it teaches me that I can be self reliant.

While on the high school wrestling team, as both a manager and an athlete, I happily became an instructor to other female wrestlers which also allowed me to improve my own performance. Over one season I was delighted to watch my sparring partner gain confidence as she grew into an accomplished wrestler.

Aside from wrestling I devote the majority of my time to my academics which is shown in my 4.0 GPA and place on the honor roll, I am also one of two students currently in the running for valedictorian.  In college I am looking forward to working towards becoming a transplant surgeon, my pursuit of this field is inspired by my love for puzzles and problem solving. The process of keeping pieces of someone alive by passing them on to another so that they have a chance to live an improved life is a beautiful labor that I would like to contribute to.