Wrestling is a rewarding sport that taught Austin Shelton the meaning of hard work. It fuels his passion to push beyond his limits on the mat. “There’s no better feeling than seeing that you are improving or beating someone you shouldn’t have beaten on paper,” he says.
Austin is a senior at Norman North High School. “I think it’s pretty cool being able to represent a sport like wrestling at Norman North because a lot of people don’t know much about it. I want to do my best to educate people about the sport and help it grow.”
Austin fell in love with wrestling in the eighth grade. His friend, Hayden, introduced him to the sport and he has never looked back.
His favorite part about wrestling is competing with his teammates and seeing who can work the hardest. He enjoys the friendships made on a team where everyone working out has the same goals. “My teammate, Caden Betz, left a big impression on me. He worked so hard every day. Caden didn’t see much success on the mat, but I know he was still putting in the work.”
Austin’s favorite teacher is also his wrestling coach, Coach Deangelis. “He did an amazing job keeping me interested throughout the course and made it feel like I wanted to be in class rather than had to be in class.” Coach Deangelis inspires Austin in the classroom and on the wrestling mat. “He wants to see me succeed just as much as I want to see myself succeed.”
Representing NNHS is an honor. “I believe that we have some of the best coaching staff in Oklahoma at Norman North,” says Austin. He is thankful for the coaches and teammates he learned from and competed with.
Some of his favorite memories are of traveling to out-of-state competitions. Staying in hotels with his teammates was the best time. “It was always fun to get tough competition outside of Oklahoma,” he said.
When not wrestling, Austin still likes staying in shape by working out at the gym. After high school, he plans to attend the University of Oklahoma and eventually go to law school.
