Lepley leaving Norwalk in 'better' place

NORWALK — Leave things better than you found them. "That's something I've always said from the beginning," Norwalk senior wrestler Gavin Lepley said. "I wanted to make sure I left Norwalk better than I found it. I feel like as a whole, this senior class has left this program better. "A lot of people miss the bigger picture, but you do it for everyone that comes after you, not just yourself. And I do think we've made it better." Lepley will certainly do that this weekend when he represents the Truckers at the OHSAA state wrestling championships at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus. Lepley (34-9) will compete in the 165-pound weight class in Division II. By placing fourth and earning the final spot at the district held at NHS on March 7, Lepley knows a tough draw awaits. He faces a district champion, West Geauga's Brian Denamen (46-1), in a match between the No. 3 and No. 10-ranked wrestlers in the state, according to the final regular season rankings from borofanohio.net. "I haven't really looked at it, but I'm going to go in with the mindset that no one is unbeatable, and I'm going to try my best," Lepley said. "I'm looking forward to just taking it all in and the time I'll spend with my friends and coaches. "It's my first time at state, and it's the last time I'll wrestle. I'll take it all in and go out and have fun." Both Lepley and head coach Erich Metzger described his wrestling style as unorthodox, but the results have been there from the start. Lepley has won anywhere from 24 to 39 matches in each of his four seasons at Norwalk. He is a three-time placer at the Sandusky Bay Conference, including runner-up this season on Feb. 21, which was also held at NHS. He missed the event because of sickness as a junior. Lepley is also a four-time district qualifier, having placed second and third, twice each, at the sectional tournament to advance. He enters the state tournament with a career record of 123-53 (.698 winning percentage). "Gavin is a natural athlete that uses his abilities to be successful," Metzger said. "He's a dedicated, hard-working kid. I don't think there's a sport he wouldn't be successful at, but we're fortunate he's put a lot into wrestling. "He's just a determined kid who does everything his way. It's not the traditional way you'd train an athlete. It's unique to how he operates." Lepley took that sentiment a step further. "I'm probably hard to watch," he said. "I bet a lot of people don't understand, and sometimes I don't understand it. I just kind of do whatever I'm feeling. If I see something before a match and it looks cool, I'll try and hit it in the next match. "I like to be more defensive, but if it comes down to it, I can get in someone's face. But I do a lot of waiting and a lot of just being all over the place." This week, Lepley said he also found the perfect match in preparation. St. Paul junior Rafael Gross is headed to his third Div. III state tournament, where he placed fourth last season. Both Lepley and Gross are in the same weight class this weekend in the different divisions. "It's kind of perfect, to be honest," Lepley said. "We're both right in Norwalk, so it makes the week a lot easier. We've practiced in this room before, so it's pretty nice, and he's obviously a great wrestler to train with." Lepley, who will attend the University of Cincinnati for aerospace engineering in the fall, also got through a long battle with knee bursitis this season. "I'm very happy with what I've done this year, especially from last year to now," he said. "Just to come back and make a statement … it feels good." In the fall, Lepley was a key two-way player for the Norwalk football team. His two interceptions against Toledo Start in Week 1 proved critical in a 17-14 overtime win. Lepley earned SBC Lake second team honors at defensive back. The Truckers had low numbers and expectations by outsiders but finished with three wins and came close to a fourth. This winter, Norwalk was hardly a lock to produce a state qualifier, as evidenced by Lepley needing three wins through the consolation rounds to advance. "I feel like sports at Norwalk has taught me to keep your head up," Lepley said. "After my freshman year, we had a new head coach and went through a complete rebuild of our football program. "With wrestling, it's been good to not only rely on your coaches and put your trust in someone else but to also know when you have to pick up your end and do the work that is needed. We left all that we had. I'll leave in tears because I was happy, not because I was sad or had regret."