‘I expect more from myself’
O’Connor expects ‘target on back’ after All-American season
With the opportunity to win a national title no longer a reality, Austin O’Connor could have allowed the disappointment of defeat to dictate his remarkable season.
That’s not what champions do.
They don’t sulk orwallowin self-pity. They persevere and regain their focus.
And that’s precisely what O’Connor did onMarch 25 at theNCAA Tournament for wrestling in Pittsburgh.
A 2017 St. Rita graduate and redshirt freshman forNorth Carolina, O’Connor regrouped from his loss in the semifinals to Ohio State’s Micah Jordan by winning his next two matches at 149 pounds and earning a third-place finish.
O’Connor (34-6) also made a statement, becoming just the seventh freshman All-American forNorth Carolina and the highest freshman finisher in program history.
“There’s a sense of celebration,” O’Connor said. “Shrugging off that (semifinals) loss and being able to beat a kid (Duke’s Mitch Finesilver) twice who Iwas 1-3 going into the tourney againstwas huge.”
After losing to Jordan, O’Connor then beat Missouri’s BrockMauller to set up the third-place match against Finesilver. Itwas the sixth time the two competed against each other this season.
O’Connor roared out to a 6-2 lead after two periods and held on for a 7-5 win.
“I knew I had towear him down a bit,” O’Connor said. “It was the last match of the year and hewas going to be a little tired.
“I thought I had thematch put away and I got a littleworried. I had a little more push in the end to finish him off.”
Making the moment even more memorable, O’Connor’s momand dadwere in attendance. “Thatwas special,” he said. O’Connor is no stranger to winning championships.
He’s one of the bestwrestlers in Illinois high school history, having gone 181-4 at St. Rita and becoming only the 15th person to win four individual state championships.
Those are the achievements of legends.
So, it’s not a shock he started his collegiate career with great fanfare, although he didn’t enjoy sitting out last season.
O’Connor understood he had to bide his time behind an AllAmerican in TroyHeilmann.
“Itwas a great opportunity for me to growas awrestler,” O’Connor said. “Thatwas huge.”
North Carolina coach Coleman Scott isn’t surprised by O’Connor’s instant success.
“He’s so consistent and so competitive,” Scott said. “You knew hewasn’t going to lay down after losing that semifinal match and hewas going to give it everything he had.”
But O’Connor has more to give and more to achieve— not only for himself, but forNorth Carolina’s program.
He had six scholarship offers coming out of St. Rita, but none from national powerhouse Iowa. It’s a slight that still motivates O’Connor.
He’s excited to help rebuild North Carolina’s program while enjoying all that Chapel Hill has to offer.
“I’m happy with the decision Imade,” O’Connor said. “I feel like our team is stepping up. We’re going to be scary the next couple of years.”
O’Connor intends to be the scariest.
While third place in the nation is a remarkable achievement, he’s not satisfied. He wants to stand alone and be a champion.
O’Connor has three seasons to achieve that goal.
One championship won’ t be enough.
Hewants the trifecta.
“I think I’ll get theNo. 1 spot in the country to start the year off next season,” he said. “I’ll have a target onmy back. But that’s when I’m atmy best.
“I showed everyone what I can do as a freshman. Everyone knows I’m here. I expectmore frommyself.”