97 wrestlers from schools throughout the state met on Tuesday at Utah Valley University for the 20th-annual All-Star duals. A committee choses wrestlers that stand out in each weight class in each classification, which was sent to coaches around the state. After the final approval, senior Colin Sierer was invited to the match. 

“Wrestling has been my entire life,” Colin said. “I started when I was four and have been doing it ever since.”

Ted Sierer, teacher and wrestling coach at Highland, and Colin’s father, has been with Colin throughout his whole career. Colin started with a Brighton Little League, and has competed since. 

Ted was ecstatic to hear that one of his wrestlers, who just happened to be his son, was chosen to represent the school for only the second time in Highland’s history. Colin was set to face North Summit’s Tristan Smith, but staying in his weight class was absolutely necessary. 

“His weight class is 106 pounds, which means that even if he’s one tenth of a pound over that limit, he’d have to wrestle the next weight up.” Ted said. “It took him a couple tries to pass the hydration test, but it’s been good for him since.”

A final score of 8-2 named Smith the winner of the match, but the knowledge that Colin took away from the competition are helping him maintain his goal of taking state this year.

“I didn’t win,” Colin said, “but it gave me the opportunity to meet good wrestlers and learn from them.”

The friendships Colin has made over his four years as part of the wrestling community are worth everything to him. It’s a family of people that he would have never met without the sport. He is hoping for the best for his team this year and will consider college offers if they come his way.