The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
He’s back and ready to make an impact
North Olmsted’s Dalton Diaz has missed the better part of the past two seasons for various reasons. Now he’s back and ready to lead the Eagles to new heights of success.
Get familiar with this name: Dalton Diaz. Who is Diaz? A 170-pound North Olmsted senior who is determined to qualify for the Division I state tournament in March.
Diaz is off to a 10-2 start, with two tournament titles winning the Lorain Titan Classic and Willoughby South Rebel Invitational championships.
Both losses have been avenged along the way.
Diaz entered this season wanting to make a name for himself — and he has, cracking Borofan’s state rankings at No. 20.
“My mindset is to get better every tournament,” Diaz said. “Wrestling state-caliber kids is what I want to do because it’s going to get me ready for the big stage. I’ve been waiting three years to get on the big stage and show what I can do.”
Diaz was a district qualifier his freshman year. His sophomore year, he was concussed, and last year he was ineligible for a personal reason.
It’s those last two seasons that have fueled him to come into 2018-19 with a different mindset.
“This is his last year and he’s really focused,” North Olmsted coach Kerry McWoodsen said. “He’s been an excellent teammate and captain and he’s really on top of his game this year. This year he’s trying to make a statement and I’m happy that he has the opportunity to do it this year. He’s a talented kid.”
Diaz plays football as a fullback/wide receiver, and started wrestling in the third grade at Lutheran West under Dave Ressler. He used to tangle with Parker Watson, a state placer and Ohio State commit, whom Diaz says was “my boy.”
But Diaz transitioned to North Olmsted in junior high and that’s where he knew he could cement himself in the program.
“I had never really wrestled in a public area, it was always in a club setting or a private school,” he said. “It’s not as competitive, but it teaches you to be the face of the team and you can rep your home community. That’s why I chose North Olmsted.”
North Olmsted finished ninth in the Southwestern Conference last year, and Diaz and McWoodsen are gunning for a top four finish this season.
They have the tools to do it — including No. 9-ranked heavyweight Tyler Jones.
“That’s been a goal since my freshman year,” Diaz said. “If me and Tyler can run through the SWC, that can help our team points a lot. And we have pretty good wrestlers throughout the lineup that can get points and we can get a top four finish.”
Bottom line, not only does Diaz want a state berth - there’s also one more thing.
“I want to get on the podium,” he added. “That’s been my goal since freshman year and that’s all I want. I want to go to state and show Ohio who I am. I love being the underdog.”