Family Ties
CLEAR LAKE — After Remington Hanson won the biggest match of his career, all he wanted to do was find his phone.
Once he located it, he searched for a quiet spot in the gym and dialed his grandma’s number.
“I was just trying to find my phone, so I could call my grandma because she was at my brother’s meet,” Hanson said. “Once I found it I ran back to the locker room where it was quiet and gave her a call and the first thing I said was Number one is down — I did it grandma. She was so happy.
“The reason I called her is because my grandma and grandpa have barely been able to go to any of my matches. My grandma went to a few, but my grandpa can’t because he doesn’t want to get COVID.”
Prior to the conversation, the Clarion-Goldfield sixth-ranked senior just knocked off Class 2A’s top-ranked 145-pounder Nick Fox of Osage in the sectional finals.
Hanson will compete at districts in Humboldt on Saturday.
Hanson (25-0) didn’t just upset Fox (29-2), he pinned him in 1:35.
“He got my hand trapped and we ended up in a scramble. He got two and he reached his hand over and I grabbed it and was going to reverse him, but we went out of bounds,” Hanson said. “He got me in a cradle and I kept moving back and forth and then was able to get my arm out and put him straight to his back and pin him.
“I knew there were a lot of people in that gym that thought I wouldn’t beat him, but I knew I could. I stood up and pointed at the Clarion crowd which my mother was in. After I got my hand raised I gave all of my coaches hard high fives and got congrats by my teammates and other people. Then I just wanted to find my phone.”
Hanson knew going in that he would face Fox at some point, and he was ready.
“Dylan Anderson (C-G/D assistant coach) and I knew I could beat him. Everyday in practice and at meets he would always say to me before my match — controlled chaos,” Hanson said. “Which meant don’t do anything bad or anything crazy. Just do what I was good at.
“So before the match, I got in the mindset that I normally get into before I wrestle, which is no one can beat me.”
Through the COVID process it has been tough for family members and friends to see wrestlers live, so after the victory, Hanson had a couple of calls he needed to make.
“After I talked to my grandma, I called my brother who is out in California in the Navy,” Hanson said. “Afterwards I was so happy. My head was running a million different ways and people from other teams were telling me great job.”