The Leonard legacy runs strong in the Lakeland wrestling program.
Carson Leonard, a freshman, has already made a name for himself as a part of the Lakeland High School wrestling team.
His father, Clint Leonard, was a legend at Lakeland High School and a three-time wrestling state champion at 125, 140 and 145 pounds. Clint Leonards’ legacy leaves Carson Leonard with big shoes to fill, but he is halfway through his first year, ranked second in the state at 113 pounds.
He has a record of 59-11. His fastest pin this season is sixteen seconds.
“I started wrestling when I was four, so I thought it would be a good fit for him, and he comes from a competitive family, so it seemed like the right place for him,” Clint Leonard said.
Since Carson Leonard has grown up doing this sport, he has more confidence in his abilities than most kids his age.
“He’s been wrestling a really long time, so he’s got some confidence in his abilities,” head coach William Edublute said. “He’s pretty aggressive and really good at timing his steps. I think he just has a little more mat awareness.”
Carson Leonard is a dominant wrestler on the mat, but off the mat, he is more of a quiet and friendly person off the mat.
He is a super friendly, pretty quiet kid. But on the mat, he turns it on and goes into “killer mode.”
Being on and off the mat are entirely different environments. Being on the mat, the attention is on the wrestler. They are out there by themselves, but off the mat, they can blend in and not have all the attention on them.
Carson Leonard struggled with a confidence problem for a long time while wrestling, but over the years, he has learned to trust his abilities and use what he has learned to do.
Clint Leonard acknowledges the massive expectations for him and is proud of how his son has handled it.
Wrestlers have to mentally and physically warm up before a match, but they also need to learn to focus solely on wrestling during the match’s six minutes.
“He’s pretty level-headed,” William Edublute said. “He gets upset with himself after losses, which I think is a good thing. You know, being upset after losing is pretty normal in this sport. It’s a one-person vs another person on the mat. When he wins, he’s not cocky.”
Carson Leonard is excellent about not getting mad after a match. He stays calm and takes criticism from the coaches very well. He is also learning that there is more talent in high school wrestling than in middle school wrestling.
“I think he is adapting from the transition from eighth grade to high school,” assistant coach Irven Williamson said. “He adapted by realizing there is more talent at the high school level than there was in 8th grade, but he is making the adjustments, and he is heading in the right direction for state.”
