LITTLE ROCK - Another program milestone has been reached for Little Rock wrestling as the program's first official student-athlete has been added to the roster. Head coach
Neil Erisman has added
Conner Ward to the program's inaugural roster, building up to the program's first season of competition in 2019-20.
"Conner is a tough, hard-nosed gritty kid," Erisman said. "He's not flashy and he's not about making it about himself, but he's an incredibly tough wrestler. He has a very similar path as I did, experiencing some heartbreak in his career, but he used that as motivation and became a state champion. He's smart, he's tough, and he's bought into what we're trying to build here and will be a great leader for this program."
A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Ward was a four year letterwinner at Mill Valley High School where he was a four-time state finalist with an overall prep record of 82-6. After coming up short in the championship bout for three-straight years, Ward broke through as a senior, claiming the 2018 Kansas 145-pound state championship, helping lead Mill Valley to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament.
Ward was also a member of the East Kansas and Greater Heights wrestling programs and represented Team Kansas at the 2017 and 2018 Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.
Eager to help get the program going, Ward enrolled in classes at Little Rock in August and is currently on campus, working closely with Erisman to establish the culture of Trojan wrestling. Anticipated to wrestle at 141 pounds, Ward fits the type of wrestler Erisman envisions as he builds the state's only Division I program from scratch.
"First and foremost, we're looking for wrestlers with high character," Erisman said. "On top of that, I'm looking for tough competitors, hard-nosed and those who truly believe in wanting to be the 'first.' You've got to be willing to go through some hard times to be the first, and take some lumps. This isn't an established program, so it's not for everyone. But I want those wrestlers with that desire to be the first All-American, the first graduate, and those who really want to be a part of establishing a legacy with this program and take pride in knowing they helped lay the foundation."
Erisman continues to be active on the recruiting trail with a number of other wrestlers eager to add to the building of the Little Rock wrestling program. Erisman anticipates a number of signees to be on campus starting in the winter 2019 semester as progress continues to be made toward the Trojans' inaugural season in 2019-20.
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