Having the Ref slowly hold up your hand as the emotions engulf all your thoughts. The crowds roars in honor of Vinny Kilkeary, the freshman weighting in at about 106Ibs. The feeling of satisfaction of all the hard work really payed off and the cheers from his family and friends. Who would of thought Vinny Kilkeary won states as a freshman in 2019. Coming off a weird 2020 pandemic season Vinny is looking to put numbers up in his junior season in the 120 pound weight class at 5’3”. 

In order to stay in shape he stays on a very strict diet consisting of lots of proteins like steak and chicken with some vegetables. He also runs two miles up and down hills as hard as he can every day from his house to his grandparents’.

Staying hydrated is a key part in staying in shape. “If I stay hydrated it makes it so much easier to cut weight,” Vinny said. He drinks at least a gallon a day.  

This year Vinny looks to become a strong leader on the team, and he plans to guide the Wildcats all the way to states in 2022. 

Although he is a part of a team, wrestling is an extremely difficult individual battle. He has set goals for himself as an individual for this upcoming season. 

For a kid as hardworking as Vinny, there is no such thing as enough, and he continues to work hard to become a better wrestler, and accomplish more goals. 

He wants to be this year’s Powerade champ, Super 32 Champ, and he also plans to be back at states and win his weight class again. 

Big achievements can only come from someone dedicated and willing to work for what they want, which is what Vinny plans. Vinny wants to continue his athletic career after  high school by wrestling in college at a Division I school, perhaps  NC State, Ohio State, Missouri, or Iowa. He hopes to commit by December or January of his junior year. With the accomplishments he has made as a 17-year-old junior, Vinny has a bright future ahead of him. 

After winning states, a drawing of his moment of  victory now hangs in the gymnasium lobby leading to the wrestling room. He remembers seeing that picture for the first time. He said, “It’s pretty cool, I feel honored that I am up there with those guys.” Those guys include Zack Zavatsky (2014), Luke Pletcher (2013, 2014, 2016), and Ryan Goodman (2006), the three other state champions from Greater Latrobe.

The fact that Vinny was the state champ, he now has a target on his back. Vinny has constant pressure to perform at a high level. He has proven to be able to perform at that high level, and knows that others will be watching for that.  

In order to deal with the stress that the pressure can cause , he doesn’t focus on the whole match. “I focus on getting one point at a time,” he said. “It helps me to stay focused on my end goal.”

Vinny will still have two years left of his high school career, giving him plenty of time to make these lofty goals a reality. Vinny now being a junior has given him time to grow since his freshman year, and it’s exciting to see what he will accomplish as he finishes high school. 

Watch for Vinny to light it up in the 2021-2022 season with multiple championships.