The Warren Area High School senior isn’t even talking about being voted a second-team all-star by Region 3 coaches. He’s not even referring to the fact he advanced to regionals this season — only his second season wrestling.

After finishing with a 1-2 record his first season — his junior year, Swanson was 10-20 as a senior, primarily at 172 pounds.

“Definitely came a long way in two seasons,” said Warren coach Glenn Baldensperger. “We were at Titusville for our last match of the season and the day wasn’t going well at all. He had just moved up to his new weight of 172, and had been half-joking about not showing up for the match because the kid was really good. Even up to the point when he was going to run out on the mat, he thought it was going to just be a disaster. I lifted him up, cracked his back, and said, ‘Hey, Evan.’ He said, ‘Yeah?’ I said, ‘You’re not a quitter, are you!?’ He looked at me, very seriously, and said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Then let’s give him what you have.’ He wrestled the kid into the second period before getting caught.

“I think, that day, he learned he could be competitive as a wrestler. The rest is history. He was a good teammate and I would have loved to have had him a few more seasons.”

Submitted Photo

When Evan puts his mind to something, yes, the rest is history.

“My motivation for wrestling was to mentally prepare myself for my future in the Marines,” said Evan. “Next up is basic (training) for me; I ship out in July on the 17th.”

He’s prepared.

“As a family, we were always involved in sports most of the year,” said Evan’s father, Brian. “Between he and (his brother) Drew, we were on the go with sports. He learned a lot about teamwork and success and defeat at an early age. Mainly baseball and basketball, wrestling was the first individual sport he ever tried. Thad Turner pushed him to get into wrestling last year.

“‘Yeah, right, you’re going out for wrestling midway through the season of your junior year,'” Brian said to Evan. “I didn’t think he was serious. Then, the next day, he said coach (Ted) Carrington wanted to talk to me about him going out. I said, ‘Evan, you are going to get your (butt) kicked; wrestling isn’t something you pick up overnight.’ He said, ‘Dad, that’s the point. I need to learn to get beat around and learn how to defend myself.’ There was no expectation of winning or even being good. He was going to do this for his military preparation. He took it in stride the first year and improved a ton.

Warren senior Evan Swanson “came a long way in two seasons,” according to his high school wrestling coach Glenn Baldensperger. “My plan for after high school is to join the Marines,” said Swanson. Submitted Photo

“I believe he wrestled three or four matches the first year,” said Brian. “Got pinned in every match. He kept grinding and improving to get better.

“One of the matches, I believe, was against a kid from Union City. Evan got pinned in about 15 seconds.

“He wrestled the same kid his first match of the year this year, and got pinned in about 45 seconds. Wrestled him again at a tournament, I think, and got pinned late in the second period. Met the same kid at sections, (and) the match went all three periods. Evan got beat by four or five points. I’m not relaying this story because somehow he ended up winning, but to show how he got better quickly. The best part is, after the match, the other boy was putting his sweatshirt on; I noticed a little cut under his eye and his mouth was bleeding. Evan had a black eye. I said to the young man, ‘Good match; you guys have seen each other a lot this year.’ He goes, ‘Coach, I never want to wrestle him again.'”

History.

“When Drew was a junior, Evan was in eighth grade,” said Brian. “We were talking about college for Drew at the kitchen table. Evan listened for a couple of minutes and said, ‘You guys aren’t making me go to college.’ We said, ‘No, but you need to decide what you want to get into; that is still a long way off and we don’t need to decide right now.’ He said, ‘I’m just telling you, I’m not going to college.’ It was about a year later, he started hitting the weights and talking about a career in the military. When he started training with Thad Turner (YMCA executive director and former Navy SEAL) is when he really committed himself and started training with the special forces in mind.”

Evan has been committed to this plan all the way back to junior high, and high school wrestling was another means to an end in his plan.

“My goal in wrestling was to win one match,” Evan said. “I ended up being a region all-star and region qualifier. … Working as hard as possible when in the room on the mats is the only way of getting better, listening to those who know more than you as well, being willing to learn.

“My plan for after high school is to join the Marines,” he said, “and wrestling has mentally prepared me to not quit and to always strive to do more. And to do better every chance you get.

“I have always wanted to serve and I knew school was never for me. I love challenges and I see the Marines as a challenge that will positively impact my life,” said Evan.

The challenge of high school wrestling was a precursor — both physically and mentally — to the United States Marine Corps.

“Being willing to listen, work, and learn are all aspects of a great wrestler,” said Evan. “I feel any combat sport where you decide whether you win — meaning nobody helps you like baseball, etc. (team sports) — will help change the way you work and are at mentally… I have won matches I didn’t think I could.”

More than about wrestling, it was about overcoming adversity.

“I asked him why he thought the military was for him,” said his father, Brian. “He said he felt it was his duty to serve. ‘So many people have done so much for me, this is my way to give back.’ I said, ‘Why special forces?’ He said, ‘Dad, if I’m gonna go, I want to go first and lead the way. I want to be the tip of the spear.’

“Off and on, I talked to my longtime friend, (Major General) Christian Wortman, a 30-plus-year Marine, for advice,” added Brian. “He said that attitude is what will make him an outstanding Marine. He also added that wrestlers make great marines and him wrestling these two years will serve him well in the Marines.”

His mother agrees.

“From a mother’s perspective, is this what I would’ve picked for Evan or what I even imagined he would do? No,” said Kari. “I have learned to trust the process of raising little people to know they can do anything they put their mind to, to assist them in overcoming obstacles and problem solving, to help them communicate their wants, needs and fears, and then blending into the scenery to watch them become the best versions of themselves. To send Evan off to something I can’t see, to a place I can’t be a part of, and knowing contact is going to be limited, tugs at my heart. However, I am also at peace because I’ve put it in God’s hands. Evan is so ready for this next step and has done everything to prepare for this in the past two to three years.

“Am I surprised by his accomplishments, particularly wrestling? Not at all,” said Kari. “Evan has always been able to excel at anything he put his mind to and then go above and beyond what you thought he would do. He went into wrestling to get better prepared mentally and physically for the military, knowing he had a great disadvantage having never wrestled and starting as a junior. He went in knowing he was going to get his butt kicked, but that didn’t deter him. The bigger picture was his goal. He worked hard, learned how to manage his weight and eating, listened to his coaches and followed the program. It just so happens that he did well. Brian and I are so happy for Evan regarding the things he has been able to overcome and accomplish in order to make his desire to be in the military come true, but more so for the person he is and that he is ours.”