“It’s just really cool to make history at the high school,” Rotondo said. “It was a big motivation seeing my photo up on the wall. … It motivated me to go get the second and to make history and leave a legacy for others to follow.”
For his accomplishments, Rotondo is The Columbian’s All-Region wrestler of the year for the second time.
Rotondo is Clark County’s first two-time state champ since Eric Starks of Battle Ground in 2008.
After going undefeated his junior year at 106 pounds, Rotondo was an early-season favorite to win a second title despite going up in weight.
But a midseason tournament called Gut Check provided a reality check for Rotondo. In Bremerton, he was beaten in a high school match for the first time in 10 months.
“You need to lose every now and then to reflect on what you need to fix and work on,” he said. “With me it was just keeping the movement up. If I slow down and they get on my wrists, it changes the match.”
From that point, Rotondo redoubled the relentless attacking strategy that had become his hallmark. He won the regional championship with two pins and scores of 10-4 and 5-1.
At Mat Classic, he outscored three opponents 23-3 before beating Elias Romero of Sunnyside 5-4 in the championship match.
Union coach John Godinho said Rotondo’s attack-early, attack-often mentality is what makes him so successful.
“He always stays on the opponent,” Godinho said at Mat Classic. “He always moves forward. He always attacks on his feet.”
Few wrestlers can move up two weight classes in a year as well as Rotondo did. At 120-pounds, he was wrestling against opponents with bigger frames who had cut down in weight.
“I wasn’t cutting weight at all,” Rotondo said. “To go to 120 and win state was a lot more gratifying than at 106, where I felt bigger and a little older than a lot of the guys. This year, I felt like I was at a little bit of a disadvantage, so it meant more to me.”
Rotondo also chose to move to 120 pounds with the future in mind. He has signed with Boise State, where he’ll likely compete in the smallest collegiate weight class (125 pounds).
But before moving on to college, Rotondo took a moment to reflect on the energy of the Union wrestling room. Being among a cadre of state-title contenders, including fellow 120-pounder and training partner Vitaliy Manolov, was a constant inspiration for Rotondo.
“They’re super dedicated,” Rotondo said. “So to be around guys like that really motivates you to work harder, cooperate with them and build each other up.”
The Columbian’s All-Region wrestling team
Wrestler of the Year – Ethan Rotondo, Union
