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    Adam Kuchnia •

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    Rev Blog Entry 8: Adam Kuchnia, UW-La Crosse

    Hey wrestling fans, it is crunch time for teams across the nation as they finalize rosters and prepare for the biggest meet of the year. Coaches and athletes are focused to finish out their grueling seasons and determined to finish on top of the competition. However, I am feeling a little different about the end of this season, because it will be my last season of competition for the Eagles -- with graduation just around the corner. So later in this blog I will give my final thoughts on my teammates and my career at La Crosse, hopefully sparing you of all the boring details.

    As a freshman at La Crosse, I was timid to step into the wrestling room. I didn't know anyone and I wasn't sure if I was ready for the time commitment that comes with being part of a dominating wrestling team. As the weeks went by, I started to form friendships and I felt comfortable to stick with the team. Practices were tough and weekends were long, but I had my friends there every step of the way. Everything is easier when you can talk to people that know how you feel even before you tell them.

    As the years came and went, I felt unfulfilled with myself, however. I watched my roommate and friend of five years, Ryan Allen, become a three-time national finalist and two-time national champion. It was awesome, and I couldn't be happier for him, but I was waiting for my time to accomplish all the goals I set for myself when I started my career at UWL. One season after another, something always went wrong for me, whether it was injuries, lost wrestle-offs, or crucial matches that I didn't win, and I felt my goals vanish with each season past. Now being no different from any other season, I will not be the starter in my final wrestling season. It is hard to take, however, I have realized many things over the years that seem to put everything in perspective and make me feel like I am about to finish college with everything I could have hoped for.

    Being a team captain for the last two years has made me feel like a huge piece of the pie in the wrestling room at UWL. I enjoy giving advice to the younger guys on the team. I like going to eat with the team and laughing uncontrollably loud, as if we are the only ones in the place. You guys know what I'm talking about. I love going to weigh-ins and seeing that UWL are the only guys joking and acting like 12-year-olds, as all the other wrestlers look like it is the last place they want to be. I liked the "Royal Rumbles" we had in our apartment living room, Al, Lolly, Heuston, Needham, Passe. What a sight that must have been. I loved wrestling live in the practice room until blood was flying and we could hardly crouch in a stance for one second longer. I felt pride sitting with my teammates on the mats as Skaar, Billy, and Ruff call us bad asses and say, "No one can do what you guys are doing!" I like to see battles at every weight class, because after all, every good team has them. I think we have more than most.

    Adam Kuchnia
    What I am trying to say is that my teammates have turned into my brothers and I care more about the success of them than I do the success of me. I just realized that this year. Ryan Allen, Cory Barsness, and I will be the only guys done after this season. We have seen guys quit the team, guys join the team, and people wish they had the "cachones" to do what this wrestling team does without question. We have gained friends and brothers, and we have even lost loved ones, and for me almost felt unbearable to continue to wrestle. But we have stuck it out for the good of the team that we love so much. In our last "hoorah" we have the chance to become part of something bigger than our individual selves. The UWL wrestling team has a great chance to become national champions, and I cannot wait to be a part of that.

    So in the end, I feel more fulfilled than I ever thought would be possible. I've gained lifelong lessons that will be with me even when I leave La Crosse and friends, that I am certain, will be part of my life for a long time. My teammates amaze me and are capable of anything. My season is not over, but I already feel like I can close out my last season at UWL with a smile on my face, knowing I was a part of something great. Wrestling fans get ready to see La Crosse "stir the pot at nationals."

    Adam Kuchnia

    Past UW-La Crosse Entries:

    Entry 7 (1/27/06)
    Entry 6 (12/19/05)
    Entry 5 (12/1/05)
    Entry 4 (11/16/05)
    Entry 3 (11/3/05)
    Entry 2 (10/19/05)
    Entry 1 (10/10/05)
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