Angus Arthur badly wanted to help St. Johns win its fifth straight state title at the Division 2 team finals. He did his part, with an 8-6 decision, but the Redwings came up short in a 34-34 tie, with the match going to Lowell on criteria.
Arthur finished the team final with a 47-0 record as he prepared for the individual finals. It’s been quite a career for the junior.
“I think as a team we fought hard,” he said. “We didn’t pick up the extra bonus points where we needed to. It cost us. I didn’t get a major. We didn’t get pins at a couple of places. The match could have been decided in numerous matches. It was such a close dual.”
At the individual state finals, Angus won another state title by going 4-0 at 189. In the finals, he beat Garett Stehley of Lowell for the undefeated season.
After his freshman season, Arthur transferred from Lowell, ironically, because since that’s the squad St. Johns wrestled in the finals the last three seasons.
“It was pretty fun,” he said. “It’s a big rivalry. It was more intense on both sides. I don’t think they took to me leaving so well.”
Arthur wrestled at 189 pounds this season after winning the state title at 171 last season. He lost three matches as a sophomore.
“It’s not a huge deal to me,” he said of being undefeated. “I don’t think people remember your record at the end of the year. They remember how you finished at state. Last year, I was upset with my three losses. But winning the state title satisfied me.”
But when the individual state finals ended, Arthur was king of his division again.
“I’ve had some close matches,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve been losing in any match. One of the biggest things is getting the first takedown of the match. It really sets the tone. If the guy’s stalling, they have to come after you. It’s important in what you do, in the first couple seconds of the match.”
He’s feels that he has definitely improved since last season.
“I made the Cadet world team, so I wrestled all summer and got the chance to wrestle for Team USA, and that was one of the best experiences of my life,” he said. The experience included a trip to Serbia.
Arthur has been wrestling for 10 years. Wrestling on his feet has been a strength for him. “I’ve tried to put a lot more work on top and bottom,” he said. “You have to learn to ride kids out. I know that will be a big thing for college.”
He is optimistic about St. Johns’ prospects in 2015. “Next year we’ll have a good year,” he said. “We’re losing Zac [Hall] and Mark [Bozzo], our two seniors. That will be two pretty big losses. I think our freshmen and underclassmen are really stepping up. We had a lot of freshmen in our lineup this year. They’ve gotten a lot better over the beginning of the year. Over this summer, they should be ready for next year.”