Western wrestling star, Cole McGinty, is ready to make a powerful impact on the mat as he takes on his third high school season this year, but it hasn’t been simple to get to this point. Similar to many high school athletes, Cole explored various sports as a child. Not clicking with soccer, Cole eventually discovered his passion for wrestling. Cole began his wrestling career at a young age under the training of the Cavalier Wrestling Club (CMC), encouraged by his father. It’s been only forward momentum since then, as he’s worked to be the best wrestler he can be.
Since he was little, Cole has been fueled by the people around him to accomplish his goals. His dad wrestled in high school and for a club in college. “I’ve had multiple inspirations, obviously my dad, and wanting to be better than him plays a big part.” Another pivotal figure in his journey is Earl Hall, an early mentor and coach for Cole at CWC. Hall wrestled at Iowa State University, boasting a 103-42 record as a 4x NCAA qualifier and a 2x All-American. “He’s been a big inspiration. He was a great wrestler. And he’s taught me a lot of what I know,” said Cole. Hall’s guidance has played a significant role in shaping Cole’s skill and knowledge of the sport. McGinty has recently sought improvement by working with Western alum Joey Burch to boost his abilities and become more dominant on the mat.
In his third year as coach, Scott Townsend has been pivotal in boosting the teams’ bond. “Coach Townsend started Warriors wrestling, which I don’t think has been a thing in the past, but that’s allowed us to practice in the offseason. We’ve been practicing since spring; we took a small break in the summer and then in the fall again. Two days a week.” The Warriors are putting in daily work now that the season has begun. Competitions are weekly, sometimes two in a week. Despite unavoidable ups and downs, Western’s crew is proving to be a tough competitor, having two seniors and six juniors, all with 3 to 4 years of experience. This much experience gives them a likely chance to have the most state qualifiers Western has seen in a while. Cole is ranked in the top 5 of his weight class in Virginia’s 3A division and has his eyes set on winning it all. “Knowing that I’m up there really motivates me to keep going and try to win that top spot.”
The goals don’t stop here, though. After the season ends, McGinty immediately shifts to the summer, where two big contests loom. One is the 2024 Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. To attend Fargo, though, Cole must qualify for the Virginia team. His eligibility for the VA team depends on placing high at another tournament, the Greco states. Once that happens, he hopes to place at the tournament, calling for a placement of 8th or higher. The latter would be to qualify for the next Super 32 tournament. “I was one placement off of qualifying for this year. So being able to get back and qualify for next year would be another one of my goals.” For now, though, Cole is focused on seeing through this season’s success.
