Benjamin Sanders '23 Recruiting Profile

Junior Season Recap: 47-8 (38 pins) While I did not accomplish all my goals, mostly due to illness at the end of the season, I feel like I had a very successful junior campaign. Our team mostly wrestled 6A/5A competition, which prepared me to win an SPC State Championship and be named to the All-Greater Houston Wrestling Team. I also broke & set a new school record for most pins in a single season and had the second-most wins besides our All-American heavyweight. Finally, I was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" by my coaches, "Most Feared Wrestler" by my teammates. and named team captain for next season. This will be my first offseason solely dedicated to wrestling and look to make huge gains in the weight room and on the mat. 

HUGE UPSIDE & POTENTIAL: I am still growing and a late bloomer w/current x-ray showing all growth plates are still open. I have also been juggling being a year-round multi-sport athlete both at school and club sports up until Nov '21, when I decided that my real love is wrestling, not baseball. I believe that my upside is huge and I am willing to put in the continued hard work to make my goals happen. I wrestled most recently at 160 lbs., but am still growing in height and weight so I am unsure what my college wrestling weight might be. I have always been muscular and strong for my size and I utilize strength training to increase this advantage. I have already added significant muscle to my frame since February and currently weigh 182 lbs. Both my parents are also very athletic. My mom was a HS All-American volleyball player and was Player of the Year of her D1 athletic conference in college. My dad is a sports medicine licensed chiropractor who was on the Medical Staff of the Texans and Rockets for most of my childhood. I have been very blessed to see firsthand the personal commitment necessary to play sports at the highest level.

I have always seen myself as a college athlete, so I have been preparing since I was a kid. I understand the importance of dedicated year-round strength training, mental preparation, disciplined nutrition, video skill evaluation, individual training, and club/school training. I have worked with my current club wrestling coach Justin Flores, who grew up in Ohio & wrestled for Notre Dame since I started competing in 6th grade. He has helped me win multiple USAW & Texas middle school state titles & placements. We focus on flow, mindset, technique, and being comfortable in uncomfortable positions. I remember watching a documentary on J'den Cox and was impressed how he focused on flow & slickness with his coach. I have implemented this style in my training for years and can feel the difference it has made in my success.

I am the kind of wrestler who is going to make your room better.  I know that my high school coaches will attest to my positive influence on my teammates. I may be pretty quiet compared to others but I lead by example in terms of hard work & grit. I have forgone numerous social activities and vacations to train, prepare & recover for competitions because my individual and team goals are more important to me. I have set the individual winter fitness records for my wrestling teams since 6th grade (St. John's Middle School & Episcopal High School), been named hardest working wrestler multiple times, and always put in the extra work that many others do not. I also have wrestled through injury and will not quit on the team. In my freshman year, I had my left glenoid fractured (non-displaced) during the last month of the season but finished all my competitions even if I fell short of my goals due to injury. I am also one of the most experienced wrestlers on my high school team, so I try to help our newer wrestlers as much as I can. I also really love how wrestling is both an individual and team sport and how wrestlers always respect and support each other even as opponents on the mat.

I am also an honor roll student at a top college preparatory high school, so academics are important to me. I plan to continue to excel in both wrestling and academics in college and look forward to the chance to wrestle for a high academic program. I recently scored a 32 on my ACT and am happy with my test progress. 

Thank you for taking the time to get to know a bit more about me. Please let me know if there is anything else you would like to know.