Recently I had a chance to catch up with three time state finalist Brock Rathbun of Center Point Urbana. Brock has been rising up the national rankings and recruiting lists after winning his second state title during his junior season. He was recently ranked third in our pound for pound senior class rankings. Check out the full list HERE.
What does your summer wrestling schedule look like? What events are you planning on attending in the coming months?
I plan on practicing throughout the summer and competing at Junior freestyle state, Junior national duals, and Fargo.
What Freco club do you train with and who are your typical summer wrestling partners?
The club I train at and have been training at for the last couple years is Eastern Iowa Wrestling Club in Iowa City. My typical training partners are usually Carter Happel, Paul Glynn, and Bryce and Drew West.
After placing 2nd at state as a freshman you have won 2 state titles now and have a chance to join an exclusive club with 3 titles next year. What would it mean to you to join some of those great names with 3 titles?
Joining the club of 3x state champions is bitter sweet. People almost always remember if you’re a 4x state champion, but if you’re a 3x state champion, it’s always what if. But I think joining the 3x state champion club is a great accomplishment and it will be one of my goals for next season.
Do you ever think back to that loss in the finals your freshman year? Do you use it as motivation to not let that happen again?
I never look back to my loss freshman year because I don’t think it matters anymore. I need to keep my eyes on my next goal and move toward that.
I know that your recruiting has picked up and many college coaches are trying to make there sales pitch of why you should go to there school. Do you have a time table for when you would like to make a decision on college?
I would like to make my college decision sometime my senior year. No specific date.
Do you maybe have a short list of schools that are leading the way at this point?
Leading the way for college schools at this point are Iowa and UNI.
Who have been your biggest influences in your wrestling career?
My biggest influences are my parents and coaches. Having coaches and parents that both care about me getting better in and out of the sport of wrestling really help to improve my abilities.
What wrestlers do you enjoy watching?
I enjoy watching Derek St John and Brett Metcalf wrestle. They are both explosive and fun to watch.
What do you like to do to get away from wrestling and relax?
Outside of wrestling I like to spend time with my family camping or boating, hangout with my friends and girlfriend, and spend some time with my dog.
Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans or anyone reading this?
I would like to thank my mom and dad for spending all the time and money on me when I was little because without that, I wouldn’t be where I am today.