Ryder Comegys '24 Recruiting Profile

I have been wrestling since I was 8 years old. My father and grandfather instilled the love of the sport in me. My family has been supportive of me since the beginning. I have never had a match that I didn’t have someone in my family there supporting me and keeping me accountable. It matters how you carry yourself on and off the mat and what you learn on the mat helps guide you in life. I know that attending college and wrestling at a collegiate level is an opportunity and privilege not something that should be taken for granted. It is something that I will take seriously and recognize the gift that it is each day. 

In my education I have experienced ups and downs and yes, my grades could have been stronger. I am just like anyone else; I have my strengths and my areas where I need to put in more work. A strength of mine comes from my weakness. If I am unsure or confused, I am asking questions. Pride shouldn’t get in the way of knowledge and evolving. I am ready to learn more and push myself in college and on the wrestling mat. I am open to all options and want find the best place for me. 

Last year, I returned to the elementary school I attended to work in the after-school care program. This experience has helped me realize what a great impact I can make on children and impress my former teachers on how far I have come. I entered this job thinking “I want to be the person I wished I had while attending school here.”- Advice my mom gave me and it was invaluable!  I had wonderful teachers, I tried to embody what worked for them and take into consideration what I wished I had. Once I began thinking of things this way, it became all about the kids and how things could be better for them. It was one of the first times, I really felt I could make an impact on others. I not only made myself proud, but the pride shown to me by my former teachers and parents was humbling. 

When I look toward the future, I see my college degree as a big piece of how I want life to look. Although I am not sure of exactly of how I want to provide for myself and my future family, I know what I learn at the collegiate level and on the wrestling mat will further develop my skills as teammate, friend, and leader in my community. This will mean I have become an upstanding citizen and made my myself and my family very proud.