The Super 32
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No Matter How Hungry You Are...
by Mac Heffner, Forbush High School Class of 1996
Heading into the 1996 State Championships, I was one of the favorites to win the 1A/2A 103 pound weight class. After working out in Charlotte I weighed 101 on the dot. That night, two former all state wrestlers - Jason Kimble (95, 96, 97) and Troy Matthews (95, 96) and myself went to a mall in Charlotte. I ate a cookie there and that was all. When we got back to the hotel I had a small amount of Powerade, but spit in a cup the rest of the night. When I woke up we weighed at the hotel and when I stepped on, it said 105 - two pounds over then, but I thought the scale was off. We were a little late to weigh-ins, not as late as some, and I still weighed 105. I was crushed and had only 30 minutes to lose the weight. I didnƒt bring any clothes other than my singlet, warm-ups and a sweatshirt. One of the greatest motivators in the state, Herman Norman (principal at Forbush) had left to get us a table at the IHOP across the street, because he too thought we were all on weight. Another assistant stayed behind and the others went to eat. I began running, sprinting that is, around Independence Arena. 10 minutes later Herman Norman arrived and he was not a happy man. Number one I was overweight, and two he had to climb a barrier separating the four lane highway to get to where I was at the Arena. He pushed me as he did so well for two years during my career at Forbush High. With one minute to spare, I went to weigh in. After trying on two scales, the officials said øYou can try one more scale!Ó I had three to choose from. I picked the middle of the three. It said 103.0 exactly. øYouƒre goodÓ one official said. I almost passed out right there. Mr. Norman remarked øyou just won your first match.Ó He was right, if you donƒt make weight you canƒt wrestle. But I did, and I ended up taking 3rd for the second straight year (95, 96). If there had been a growth allowance then, I would have been okay, but there wasnƒt. To this day, I believe that episode kept me from winning the state title that year, but it wasnƒt meant to be, and that is no excuse for losing. I learned more by not winning than I would have had I won anyway, but I still think about it often. To this day, I have never even thought about drinking Powerade. Cookies are a different story. Not too many people know about what I went through, but a few can surely empathize. I will never forget that day and how I almost missed weight my senior year. No matter how hungry you are, donƒt eat or drink! Words to live by.
He wrestled for Carson-Newman College (Tennessee) from 1996-98, and is currently a Journalism Major at UNC-Chapel Hill.
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