THE PERFECTIONIST
Fitch’s Jarod Kosman (53-0) completes his high school journey with a national title
When Jarod Kosman gets his hand raised in victory following a match, he does it without fanfare. No histrionics. No showmanship.
“You think he's won a regular dual meet,” Fitch High School wrestling coach and Jarod's dad, Mark Kosman said of some of his son's more recent matches, which have definitely gone beyond the boundaries of the regular season. “(College) coaches see how you win. That you're not a showboat.”
And yet recently, there have been photos of the sometimes stoic Kosman, on the awards podium, at the allstate banquet, smiling. And rightfully so. With each passing week of the winter season, Kosman, a senior 113-pounder, accomplished something more dazzling until, finally, he capped it dramatically by winning the national championship on March 25 in Virginia Beach. Kosman earned the 5-4 victory over Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) representative Ryan Chauvin, being awarded a takedown, worth two points, just before the final buzzer.
Kosman completed the season 53-0, with Eastern Connecticut Conference, Class L, State Open, New England and national titles. He, remarkably, did not allow a takedown by an opposing wrestler until the New England championship match.
Kosman, who followed the family tradition of wrestling at Fitch that was formerly established by his dad and uncles, was named The Day's 2018 All-Area Wrestler of the Year.
“I've always liked it. You've got to like it to do it all the time,” Kosman said. “… I'm just super competitive. I hate to lose. I'm just focused on winning. The moment somebody's better than me, it bothers me. I always have been super competitive.”
“Sometimes I wish that was the case,” Mark Kosman said, laughing, asked what if Jarod had grown up and wasn't a fan of wrestling. “I wouldn't be as stressed and as worried. (At the New England meet), I was having a nervous breakdown.”
Kosman doesn't like to talk about the couple of months
that preceded his senior season. Following a health scare, he spent a portion of his summer at Yale New Haven Hospital, where he was diagnosed with urea cycle disorder, the condition which makes his body unable to adequately digest protein.
He returned to the mat in September at Empire Wrestling Academy in Somers, N.Y., where he wrestles in the offseason under owner/ coach John Degl, a 1996 graduate of the University of Iowa who was part of four national championship teams for the Hawkeyes.
Mark Kosman calls Jarod's practice sessions at Empire “the lab.”
Jarod was never more thrilled than to be back in the lab.
“I got into a groove pretty quickly,” he said. “I knew I was going to be fine. Just keep practicing and keep practicing and get better and better. Just always practicing 9-10 months out of the year, feeling mentally prepared, feeling like I'm going to win.
“My coach (Degl), he kind of helps me adapt. He knows what's good for me. He knows what I should do, coaching to my strengths.”
The 5-foot-4 Kosman, up from the 106-pound weight class last season, then began his dominance at 113. He went on to become just the fifth four-time champion in ECC history, named the Outstanding Wrestler of the league meet. That distinction came in his home gym, too, where Mark had wrestled before him.
The State Open and New England titles were the first of Kosman's career. He allowed his first takedown of the season just 16 seconds into his New England championship match against Kyle Randall of Newton North (Mass.) before coming back to win 10-8.
“He was pretty fast. He caught me off guard at first,” Kosman said. “But there was too much time left to be worried about it.”
One opposing ECC coach this season stated that Kosman's success is partly due to his superior technical skill.
“I would say Jarod always passed the eye test with wrestling,” Mark Kosman said, asked where the technique was built. “He naturally had a good feel for the sport, but it was definitely crafted in the lab and it was not just by one coach. I have to give credit to all his coaches as he moved through the sport. Each club Jarod was a part of had an impact on his growth as a wrestler.
“This year he made the biggest strides. … Jarod put in countless hours and hard work to allow his ability to shine for six minutes.”
Kosman is uncertain where he'll wrestle next season, but is hoping to pursue a career in the medical field. When he's not wrestling, he enjoys watching his friends play soccer and baseball at Fitch. A fan of the clothing company Vineyard Vines, he competed in his final championship season wearing a pink and black Fitch singlet, which Mark designed to match Jarod's fashion sense.
He credits Mark for being both dad and coach and his mother, Nancy, for her support as well — “she hasn't missed one (match); she would fly anywhere,” he said.
“I'm excited for new things,” Kosman said of what the future holds. “I like to try new experiences.” v.fulkerson@theday.com