Warhawks wrestler Austin Bautista never won a high school state championship in his home state of Illinois. He never even placed, despite carrying a 42-1 record into the 2006 state tournament.
Today, the same wrestler who endured a disappointing end to his high school career is an All-American 141-pounder. He earned the distinction March 8 with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
"It's bittersweet," Bautista said. "Because I changed my goal midseason from being an All-American to being a national champion, but it got me hungry for the two years I have left."
Bautista, who finished his sophomore season with a 32-10 record, is UW-Whitewater's first All-American since 2005. He also won a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title earlier this year.
Bautista, who began wrestling in the seventh grade, said his skills began to develop while attending Maine East High School in Des Plaines, Ill.
"I probably had the best coaches ever, on and off the mat," he said. "My biggest influence was my head coach, Emilio Hernandez. He taught me everything I know about wrestling."
While UW-Whitewater head coach Tim Fader worked on his 2006 recruiting class, he wasn't fazed by Bautista's shortcomings in high school.
"With a kid like Austin, I couldn't care less that he won a state title or lost in the first round," Fader said. "Because we knew he was a guy who was good for our program. To go into a state tournament and recruit only state champs, that doesn't mean you're going to have any kind of success in college."
Many successful high school grapplers struggle with the transition to college wrestling. The grind of the season can wear on even the best wrestlers, and it's often difficult to balance athletics with academics. Bautista said desire is the key to a successful collegiate run.
"I really think the difference is staying hungry," he said. "Some guys, they come here and don't really do that much. I just have that passion to do better. I have that desire to get to the top of the podium."
Fader noted Bautista's work ethic and discipline as reasons for his success. Bautista kept a close eye on his diet, and when he wasn't learning new techniques, he spent much of his free time studying videos on FILA-Wrestling.com.
"He's not one of the best kids in the state anymore," Fader said. "He's one of the best kids in the country. For Whitewater and our program, he's exactly what we want our wrestlers to be. He's a perfect one to build around."
For Bautista, "one of the best" is no longer satisfying, and he doesn't hesitate when asked about his new ambition.
"Bottom line is national champion," he said.
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