Athlete of the week
Age 18 | School Southwest | Grade 12
Not unlike the proverbial cheese, Dellon Ball stands alone.
The senior grappler is the only member of the Southwest Eagles’ wrestling team to have made it to this point of the Imperial Valley League season without having dropped a conference match.
A wrestler’s wrestler from a long line of the same, Ball has been a staple of the Valley scene since his freshman year, when he placed fifth individually at San Diego sectionals.
Back then he competed at 106 pounds.
The past two seasons — which include an injury shortened sophomore campaign, and a third-place finish at CIF-SDS last year — saw him at 115.
He’s since moved up the ladder a bit more and has been doing his work at 126 pounds in 2018-19, though he has plans to settle in at 120 later on.
His hope is that this is the year he grabs sectional gold before going on to place at state.
He’s off to a solid start, having already won 11 matches so far this season — including two on Wednesday against wrestlers from Brawley and Imperial.
A cerebral competitor, Ball considers the moments spent waiting in the wings to be just as crucial to success as those spent on the mat.
He’s big on the mental aspect of the sport.
“There’s a lot of preparation,” he says. “You gotta get yourself ready for it. You don’t want to psych yourself out and think, ‘That kid’s gonna be better than [me],’ because if you do, you’re gonna lose the match.
“When you’re in the match, you’ve gotta be focused. If you’re not focused you’ll start making mistakes and doing crazy stuff. … You’ll cost yourself points or get yourself pinned.”
My favorites
Pro athlete — TJ Dillashaw (UFC fighter)
Class — Banking and finance (“I think it’s cool to work with numbers and situate your life.”)
Food — Sushi (“Hands down, favorite food of all time.”)
TV show —“Dragon Ball Z”
Music genre — Rap
Rapper — Trippie Redd
What do you enjoy most about your sport?
“It takes a lot of hard work and discipline if you want to make it far, and the payout you get from that is just the
best feeling of satisfaction.”
What is one of your most memorable moments from competition?
“Freshman year at CIF, when I won my placing round to go to masters. … That was one of the most memorable moments I’ve ever had in my life. Going to masters is kind of a big deal if you’re a freshman, and I remember that match was hard. [My opponent] was a lot shorter than me. I thought I could beat him easy, but it ended up being a really tough match before I pinned him in the end. There was a lot of emotion going into that match and a lot of emotion coming out of it. It was a big day.”
Who inspires you and why?
“One of the main inspirations I have is probably my older brother (Austin Ball). He wrestled in high school, too … and to this very day he pushes me to be my best.”
What are your goals for the rest of the season?
“Just to keep working hard and try my best and just to see where it goes. … A main goal is to try and place at state