Titans wrestler Coulter prefers to put team goals ahead of personal ones
This weekend is for the team.
Yes, Union wrestler Clint Coulter will be putting his undefeated season on the line. And, yes, he’ll be trying to improve on last year’s third-place finish at the Clark County Championships.
But when Coulter takes the mat in the 189-pound weight division, he also will be focusing on team goals.
“I’m more excited about the team than myself,” the sophomore said. “We have a chance to win the team title; that holds more in my book. If everybody pulls their weight, we’ll be contenders.”
If Coulter does his job, he will be expected to stand atop the medals podium at the end of the meet. He’s 22-0 this year, including a title at the prestigious Pacific Coast Championships.
And he’s on pace for what he hopes will be the first of three state championships, something that is rare at the higher weight classes.
As coach John Godinho said, “Most of the time, you’re wrestling seniors or upper classmen. He has a little guy’s technique as a big guy. He has the technique to move around more; he still can shoot a single leg as a big guy.”
For Coulter, that technique is a result of a lifetime in the sport. As the son of a wrestler, he got his start at the age of 4 and grew up competing for the Southwest Washington Wrestling Club.
“I’ve always been an active child, you could say, so wrestling was always a good sport for me,” Coulter said. “I calmed down a bit after wrestling practice.”
He also channeled that energy into baseball. A promising catcher, Coulter is not sure which sport is his best.
“They’re both about six months out of the year,” he said. “During wrestling, I enjoy wrestling more. Without either, I would feel pretty empty.”
Godinho, who said Coulter carries a 3.75 grade-point average, added: “Whatever he does, he’s successful. He’s just a great kid outside of wrestling.”
But for now, it’s wrestling season, and Coulter knows there’s a big difference between being a successful high school competitor and being a champion.
He went 28-7 last year as a freshman, finishing eighth in the state meet at 189 pounds.
“It was almost a shock when I lost,” he said. “You need to learn from each loss and grow. A lot of kids will beat themselves up. You’ve got to know you can learn more from a loss than a win.”
That attitude leads to lofty goals, such as being a three-time Pacific Coast champion and three-time state champion. Coulter’s ability was highlighted by the fact he was the only Clark County wrestler to win a title at this year’s Pacific Coast meet.
“I see him as a three-time state champion,” Godinho said. “A lot of things can happen, like injuries; he has the ability to be a three-time state champ.”
And while the Clark County Championships will not affect Coulter’s quest for a state title, the meet remains one of the biggest of the year for local wrestlers.
Taking place Friday and Saturday at Skyview High School, the competition brings together wrestlers from all classifications of schools.
It’s an opportunity for a Class 3A program such as Union to prove it has the best team in the area, and it’s one of the places where the team aspect of the sport is on display.
“When I wrestled I was part of a state championship team, and I was an individual state champion,” said Godinho, who won state titles at 101 pounds in 1984 and 108 in 1985 when Castle Rock won 1A team titles. “I enjoyed the team success more. A team title is a lot harder to get.”
Coulter said: “It’s our team goal to win Clark County, and it’s a reachable goal.”
