Starting in preschool and now a senior getting ready to start his final season of wrestling, Carter Cox is determined to get from finishing just shy of first place last year to being on top this year.

The state runner up in class 2a from 2016, hopes to finish his career out strong in 2017. He started his career 13 years ago, and has just one year left. Cox is hoping to capture a state title after coming up just short the previous year. When he stepped on to the mat with a healthy ankle in the finals, he had some high hopes about his match. When he went for a stand up coming out of the bottom position he rolled his ankle as competitor Justin Portillo stepped down on it.

After Portillo stepped on his ankle, the match was stopped. Head coach Tim Duff asked Cox “Are you okay? Can you move it?” After Cox was up and on his feet, Coach Duff told Cox, “You need to finish out strong and leave it all out on the mat.” Cox did just that, as he got back into the match and finished out the next two periods, even though the match didn’t go the way he wanted it to. Before Cox continues his wrestling career to the next level in college, his main focus is on his last year participating as an Atlantic Trojan.

Cox does not know where he wants to continue his career and education, although he does know that he wants to wrestle in college and get a degree in physical education. Cox is hoping to come across some scholarship offers after his final year as a Trojan.