BEREA, OHIO -- Baldwin Wallace University junior Tristan Stoll, a resident of Milan, Ohio and graduate of Thomas Edison High School, has a unique story when it relates to his wrestling career at Baldwin Wallace University.
Stoll first came to BW two years ago as linebacker for the Yellow Jacket football team. But, he felt it was necessary to focus his attention on academics and not continue to play football. At the beginning of this school year however, Stoll came to the conclusion that he felt empty without athletics as a part of his college life.
"I missed the joy of competing," said Stoll, who leads the Yellow Jackets with a 17-3 record at 197 pounds heading into this Saturday's (Februrary 20) Ohio Athletic Conference Championship Meet at Mount Union College. "I have always been a competitor since I was a child and could not stomach the thought of losing."
"When I was young and then through junior high and high school, I played football, and baseball, wrestled and ran track. I always wanted to win and strive to be the best at it. The thrill of competition and winning is what makes athletics enjoyable for me."
Stoll's competitive drive heavily influenced his decision to return to a place where he has not been since his senior year of high school -- the wrestling mat. Stoll had success while wrestling at Edison High School and finished seventh at 171 pounds at the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) State Championship Tournament. As a senior, he a posted 15-2 mark in the 189-pound weight class after coming back from an illness halfway through the season.
"Baldwin Wallace was the right choice for me," said Stoll, who is a business administration and substainability major. "The College has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My uncles, Mike Stoll '81 and Matt Stoll '81, who both played football, and Kurt '88, who wrestled, all received their educations from BW and that heavily influenced my decision. I immediately felt a strong connection and it was the right decision for me and my family."
Stoll knew that his decision to return to wrestling would be met with some opposition and some people would doubt that he could succeed after a two-year absence from competitive matches. His decision to return to the mat has turned out to be a wise decision as his 17-3 mark attests. In addition, he won a title two weeks ago at the 24th Annual John Summa Memorial Tournament in Berea and pinned both of his opponents.
Stoll has been quite surprised by the success considering his transition back into the daily routine of being involved in intercollegiate athletics.
"The biggest challenge I faced was the grind of everyday practice," said Stoll, who also leads BW with 10 pins and is second in both takedowns (28) and near falls (16). "My body just wasn't adjusted to the difficulty of an everyday practice schedule. I also had to shape my class schedule around wrestling. Time management became a very important issue."
Another person who has seen Stoll's success as a very pleasant surprise is Yellow Jacket veteran Head Coach Rich Fleming, who is in his 22nd year of coaching at BW and in his 42nd year overall.
"Tristan is one of the more interesting stories that I have had in my coaching career due his success in his first year of college wrestling," said Fleming. "I was disappointed that Tristan did not come out for the team his freshman year, but also understood his reasoning. He is a young man who has his head on the right way and is striving to be successful academically and now athletically."
"Tristan has the potential to be a national qualifier and an All American," continued Fleming, but he'll have to compete at a very high level at the OAC Tournament. He must continue to work hard and improve everyday."
Stoll's main competition at the OAC Tournament will be the only conference wrestler to beat him this season -- Mt. Union's Bill Schindel, who is both the defending champion at 197 pounds and placed seventh at last year's NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. When they met earlier this season, Schindel had his way with Stoll and beat him 11-3 in Berea. Overall, Stoll was 4-1 in his five matches against OAC opponents.
"I'm not sure Tristan was ready to wrestle Schindel the first time," said Fleming. "If he gets the chance at the OAC Tournament, I'll bet he takes a bit of a different approach. Both are outstanding wrestlers and would represent the OAC well on the national level."
Stoll is by no means satisfied with the success has had thus far and knows a lot of work is to be done if he wants to achieve his goal of becoming a national qualifier.
"I try not get to overconfident," said Stoll. "I feel I have many things to improve upon and I try to work at my weaknesses every day in practice."
Stoll's work ethic during practice has been noticed by teammates and has made him a more than welcomed addition to the team. BW junior Phil Payne particularly appreciates Stoll's enthusiasm.
"Tristan brings a lot energy to the team," said Payne who has a 15-8 record as the starting 133-pounder. "He is very outgoing and pumps every one up during practice. That is a must considering how monotonous practices can be."
"Tristan also works extremely hard,"continued Payne. "He doesn't just want to wrestle. He wants to be a highly successful wrestler and puts in the time and effort to be the best he can be. He certainly has taught all of us a thing or two about how to develop a great pin move."
Fleming also agrees. "Tristan loves to pin his opponents. If you make one mistake, he wil take advantage of it very quickly and put you on your back faster than you can blink your eye. He is just very fun to coach and watch compete," noted Fleming.
"I love to pin my opponents," said Stoll. "One of my long-term goals is to break the school record for pins in a season and maybe in a career. I know it will take a lot of work."
Stoll is currently a sustainability major and works very hard in the classroom. When asked about his future goals, Tristan wants to work in the business field.
"I hope to use my degree to gain a job in the sustainability field helping organizations use alternative sources of energy to help preserve our planet's resources," said Stoll. "BW is one of the first school's in the country to make sustainability a major and a major part of its business degree."
In his time at BW, Stoll has learned invaluable lessons on how to succeed in athletics as well as in the classroom environment. Stoll plans to use his experiences at BW as a platform for future success.
"I know that in order to achieve the goals I want, I must use the competitive drive I have in the ring and use it in the professional world," said Stoll. "Those are some of the most valuable lessons you learn by competing in athletics. I feel I'm ready for the challenge."
Stoll's work ethic and willingness to compete can only guarantee him that he will go beyond achieving his goals and live up to the vast potential that awaits him.