Larson Hanks: Evolution of a Champion

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I want to preface this by saying that I write this and the other “spotlight” pieces like it as a fan more than a coach. The perspective of a young student-athlete is rarely seen or discussed. We see the headlines but rarely get to understand the manifestations of the success of our athletes. This year I have been fortunate to coach a special group of young wrestlers. I chose to look at Larson Hanks, Javier Vasquez, and the rest of the seniors’ journey because of everything that led up to these guys entering small-town fame.

 

I start with Larson Hanks. This is not to take anything away from anyone else. There are many others on the team who did everything right but fell a point or two short of getting the opportunity to reach similar aspirations. Hanks is a state champion, a model student, and more than any coach could ask for. Most importantly his story is that of perseverance and redemption. He was considered an underdog by everyone else going into state, with the exception of the people who knew his character, skill-set, and what he was capable of accomplishing. He is walking proof of the value of an extraordinary work ethic and mental toughness. I was lucky enough to work with him and so many of his teammates that share these two attributes. As a program, we have a remarkable amount of heart, and this is very hard for our opponents to prepare for. He and his peers helped to build one of the toughest programs in the state. We have been complimented by coaches and wrestling fans across Texas and across the state line. This can be attributed to the leadership of our upperclassmen.  

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It is important that we get a closer glimpse of who Larson is. His name will forever be in the UIL archives, but more than that, he epitomizes what it means to be a Vernon Lion. He is profoundly humble, carries himself with integrity everywhere he goes, and led one of the toughest teams in Vernon Wrestling history. They also did this with an incredible level of class. He is one of the most humble, hardest working athletes that I have had the privilege of working with. We had so many others that I will discuss in more detail in the future spotlights. His story stands out to me because of the amount of discipline and determination that he showed on his way to a state title and the execution of his game plan once he got there . As an underclassman, he was undersized and unsure of what his potential was, much like so many young athletes entering the first two years. He was fortunate to have several mentors to guide him in his development, but he had yet to come into his own as a wrestler. As he matured, I witnessed him develop a style that was uniquely his own. His strength, explosiveness, length, and craftiness was extremely tough for people to handle and was fun to watch. He qualified for state in 2016 with a bum knee but didn’t manage to place. This year, of course, was a different story, defeating the top three ranked wrestlers at his weight on his way to gold.

 

I myself had never been at the top of the state podium, and after his hand was raised, I truthfully did not know what to say. Speechless for perhaps the first time in my young coaching career, I stood in amazement at his accomplishment. After a week had past, I had several questions that I had for him, and he was kind enough to answer them. I hope that younger athletes and his teammates take the time to read his words and know what kind of dedication it took for him to be called champion. I hope the community takes the time to read his words and know all the parts that had to come together and to better understand Larson Hanks.

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Larson Hanks: Evolution of a Champion Q & A

Essential Question: What does it take to become the best in the state

 

What did you set out to do this year?

My goal was to be the best I could be. I wanted vengeance from last year and I wanted to leave this sport with no regrets.

 

Did you think you could win a title?

I’ve never been in that position before, like Javier who’s been a top 3 wrestler in the state the last 3 years, so I wasn’t sure if I could win or let alone be in the finals.  I definitely came in more confident after my achievements through District and Regionals.  I was down 6-1 in the semi-finals against one of the toughest competitors I’ve ever faced.  After coming out of that match with a victory, my confidence was higher than ever.  At that point, I was not leaving that tournament without a State Championship Title.     

 

What did your daily/weekly routine look like?

After my knee surgery, I was worried that I may not be able to fully recover.  As soon as the doctor released me, I began rehabilitation.  I worked with physical therapists at the hospital, as well as the training staff at VHS.  By the summer, I began working on building strength in my legs and upper body.  I started a high protein (200-250g/day), high carb (over 1000g/day) diet.  I was working out 2-3 times a day and put on over 40 pounds in the next 6 months.  Throughout football, I continued to work out on my own at nights.  A few weeks before wrestling, I changed my diet to a low fat, low carb, high protein meal plan and increased my water intake considerably (10-12 bottles a day).  With some extra running and cardio workouts, I reduced my body fat and was able to come down 20 pounds without losing strength.              

 

What do you think was one of the biggest parts of your routine that put you in position to win a title?

I think the biggest part of my routine was following my dad’s diet plan.  I really watched what I ate during the week so the day before the tournament. I could fill up on carbs and nutrients I need.  I pretty much ate as much as I wanted, as long as it was the right foods, with a little cheating.  I also stayed fully hydrated throughout the week.  I lost the unhealthy weight, without losing strength.  This routine helped me find the right weight class, so that I did not lose strength.  I was not carrying around extra weight that I didn’t need.  I also focused on staying where I needed to be without putting myself through a lot of stress the night before weigh-ins.           

 

What sacrifices did you have to make in order to achieve your goals?

A big sacrifice I made was losing a big part of the summers and time with my friends during wrestling season.  During the summers, I worked out 2-3 times a day and didn't have that much time to hangout with my friends.  While they were eating pizza and a milkshakes, I was eating grilled chicken with water.  

 

How did the first three years compare to this year?

This year was amazing compared to all the others because this was the first season that I have been healthy throughout the whole season. When I was a Freshmen I had the flu right before Districts, Sophomore year I broke my fibula, and my Junior year I tore my meniscus.

 

What is/was your motivation?

I had set high goals the previous years and watched my chances get crushed every year due to injury. My motivation for this season was vengeance for the past three seasons.      

 

Is there any one thing that helped you push past your “wall” when it might have been easier to shut it down?

When things got tough I thought to myself, “I worked too hard and put too much time in this, just to stop and quit.”

 

What was your thought process going into the season, postseason, state, and the state finals?

At the beginning of the season I didn't know what to expect coming off of knee surgery, but near mid-season and through the postseason, I wrestled with a lot of confidence in myself.  My main thought was to stay healthy and stay focused on my goals.  

 

What helped you win a title? What gave you the edge to be the best in the state?

I would say developing a new wrestling style that worked best for me and having a great training partner. The style was to be the quickest  guy on the mat,  speed kills.  My training partner for the last 6 years was Daniel Carpenter, who was a State Qualifier last year and was ranked #3 coming into this season, so much credit is owed to him.

 

What would you tell a 7th grader or a younger person? 

Wrestling is a tough sport and there’s going to be a lot of adversity thrown at you, so be prepared and don’t give up when things get hard.  Your biggest regrets will not be the losses, but giving up when you know you could have pushed harder.  

 

What is your message to the younger guys stepping into bigger roles next year?

That they are the new face of the team now. I didn't believe people when they told me this, but the underclassmen really look up to you. So, you need to guide them and be a good role model for them.

 

You had a lot of influences in your career. What were some of you biggest things you took away from some of your mentors that you would like to share?

Coach Reyes was my first mentor. I would not have wrestled if it were not for him pushing me to.  He was the one who introduced me to the sport and made me fall in love with it.  I have taken away from so many mentors,  ranging from so many different styles and techniques, including Coach Scott, Coach Leal, Bryan Navarro,  Daniel Navarro, John Smith, Codie Denton, and all my practice partners throughout the years. I couldn't have done it without each piece everyone of y’all have given me.   

 

You jumped back into football your junior year. What were some of the things that wrestling helped you with football? And likewise, how did football help with wrestling?

There is no doubt that Wrestling made me better in Football. I learned about body awareness and I got significantly better at tackling next season being a middle linebacker.  Almost every aspect of wrestling could be applied on the football field.  The better I got at wrestling, the better I got at football. I think Football  helped me on my leadership skills, with being a middle linebacker, you have to be vocal and be a  motivator to your teammates, and I think that contributed to be on the mat when we had  duels with other teams.

 

What does wrestling mean to you? How has it shaped you?

Without a doubt, I would not be the man I am today without Wrestling.  It has taught me to be goal-oriented, self-determined, dedicated, and the value of hard work.  The sport taught me to be humble in victory, respectful in defeat and always confident.   

 

If you were to put your career into a paragraph how would you summarize it? How about a sentence? How about a hashtag?

Nothing is given to you,  Everything is earned.

#DearGodThankyou

 

What does Vernon Wrestling mean to you? If you were to dub a catchphrase/hashtag what would it be for Vernon Wrestling?

Pull the Trigger.

 

There will be new uniforms next year. If you had the option, would you have stayed traditional with a singlet or gone with the fight shorts and compression shirt?

I would keep it classy with the singlet.

 

What are some other things you are passionate about?

One thing I am passionate about is not losing or not giving up. I hate losing in anything and that has helped me a lot in Wrestling. So most of my hobbies and pastimes included getting better at Wrestling and being the best I could be.

 

What are your favorite sports/athletes to watch? Did you transfer any of their skills/strategies into your own repertoire?

My favorite wrestler to watch is Cael Sanderson because he made each of his opponents look like they didn’t stand a chance. Another big reason I like him is because his signature move is the same as mine, an ankle pick.

 

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Hopefully, I will be wrapping up at Midwestern State University to get my Master’s degree in Radiologic Sciences.  From there, I will be ready to enter the workforce with as much confidence and dedication as I had in wrestling!