Local Sports

YC's Ryan Renkey has been UNTOUCHABLE
BY BRIAN WILLIAMS, SUN STAFF WRITER
Feb 7, 2007

Looks as if Terrell Hunsinger Jr. knew what he was talking about.

The first-year Yuma Catholic wrestling coach said with a straight face back in November that unknown sophomore transfer Ryan Renkey would capture a 1A-2A state title at 103 pounds.

"For this year. I meant this year he would be a state champion," Hunsinger said as the team prepared for a 5-way dual at Maricopa on Jan. 20. "I made a bold statement in the beginning and said he would win a state championship. I even got on an Internet forum and made the same statement."

A state title is still up for grabs with Renkey considered the favorite and he could do it in grand fashion — a perfect season. He finished the regular season with a 47-0 record and upped it to 50-0 by capturing the 1A-2A Metro Region individual title.

Renkey knocked off then 1A-2A No. 1 Jonathan Landavaso (39-8) of Camp Verde in the Metro Region finals 14-10.

Four straights wins over Friday and Saturday at the state wrestling championships would validate Hunsinger's preseason claim.

But even Hunsinger didn't think the long, lanky kid from North Carolina would melee the competition like he has.

"He still surprised me with the dominating fashion of how he does it," Hunsinger said. "He has that aura about him that he just knows he is going to go out and win."

Renkey has told his coach from Day 1 that a state title was his goal. The undefeated season is secondary.

"After I got about 20-0, or so, I was like well I've gotten this far, I might as well try and keep undefeated," the unassuming Renkey said.

In North Carolina, Renkey began wrestling in middle school and became a state middle school champion in eighth grade at 80 pounds.

He did not make the varsity team his freshman year, being edged out by a sophomore.

"Not really disappointed," Renkey recalls. "I was able to practice with him and got better and worked in the offseason."

The Renkeys moved to Yuma from Winston-Salem, N.C., prior to the start of the current school year. Renkey spent most of the summer working out with some kids from Cibola and participating in wrestling camps.

"I just wanted to come here wrestle and see how everybody was and just go from there," Renkey said.

That has included a season in which Renkey has turned back a couple of defending state champions from in state and out.

First came a 6-0 win over the defending 1-2A state champion at 103, Dee Massey, who has since transferred to 3A Chino Valley.

And then just before the winter break, Renkey moved up to 112s and came away with a 2-point victory over the Nevada state champion.

"After that match, Ryan told me then that he had made a conscious decision to go undefeated for the year," Hunsinger said. "He said he knew right then that he could do it. I wouldn't say that he was arrogant but he just had that feeling like, 'I know I can do it.' ’’

Renkey came back from the break and again defeated Massey 11-5 to win the Joseph City Invitational Wrestling Tournament in early January.

Only a handful of grapplers have come close to Renkey thus far. Forty-five of his wins have been majors, a margin of victory between and eight and 14 points, or better.

"In my opinion, he is one of the top five 103 pounders in the state no matter what division," Hunsinger said.

Renkey is an efficient and tactical wrestler that dissects the opposition.

"If he wrestles with you long enough, he'll learn how to beat you," Hunsinger said. "He'll learn where you make your mistakes and learn the counters to your moves. Because people are very patterned. He changes. He's like a chameleon. He'll change his style to wrestle you. When it comes to a close match, he'll find a way."

Renkey has said all along his goal was to win a state title and admits he's thought about a trifecta and ultimately wrestling on scholarship at the collegiate level.

"I'd really like to win state. I set it (as a goal) at the begining of the year," Renkey said. "I'm kind of thinking about it (being a three-time state champ) but I have to think about this year first."

Brian Williams can be reached at bwilliams@yumasun.com or 539-6883.

AIA STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

When: Friday and Saturday

Where: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale

Admission: $6 for students with high school ID; $8 adults

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