GALION — Alex Griffith is ready for the next step in his education and wrestling journeys.
But he won’t have to travel far after signing with Tiffin University in the Galion High School commons on Friday afternoon.
“It’s close enough to home that I can still come home, but it’s still far enough away. They have great coaches and a great campus,” Griffith said.
He will study exercise science and compete in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference at the Division II school.
The Tiger heavyweight placed third in this year’s OHSAA State Wrestling Tournament. Griffith compiled finished 42-6 overall. He is Galion’s all-time wins leader with 162 victories over his four years.
Griffith became the first Tiger wrestler in the storied program to compete in four state tournaments.
“It’s an established program and they’ve had national champions probably the past four out of five years,” Tigers head coach Brent Tyrrell said.
“The head coach now (Antonio Guerra) is a multi-time national champion at Findlay, which is in the same league. They have another really good coach in assistant coach (Nate) Hagan.”
Despite his success, Griffith’s attitude remains one geared toward hard work and improvement.
“You can always get better at anything; one percent better every day. Working on my offense, working on my defense. There is nothing that can’t be improved,” Griffith said.
Griffith finished football season at 320 pounds, but now he’s at 260 and will compete for the Dragons at 285 pounds.
“I feel I move better at 260. I can still feel strong,” he said. “That’s 60 pounds. You put a 60-pound vest on, and life gets a lot harder.”
Tyrrell agreed the weight loss has been a benefit.
“It’s funny we had been talking to him about it for four years and he bought into it this year,” he said. “It was the right time for him. He did it and it paid off. He didn’t get tired.”
His first trip to the state tournament was actually one to Highland High School in Marengo, where the post-Covid D-II state tournament was held in 2021.
Griffith went 1-2 in the tourney, compiled a 40-12 record, and became the first Galion freshman to compete in an OHSAA state wrestling tournament.
“It’s two different humans from his freshman year to now. He was a competitor. He has done a lot of things for the first time for our program, and he’s led the way for a lot of these guys,” Tyrrell said.
He qualified for state as a sophomore and as a junior but fell in the consolation rounds.
“He’s been a mainstay for our guys and a good leader for us. He’s not the same kid. We want to see growth as a wrestler and as a human. He’s turned into a super young man and I’m proud of all the things he’s done. It’s really impressive,” he said.
Jim Wegesin has worked with many top wrestlers in his 52 years with the Galion wrestling program. He also has noticed improvement in Griffith’s mat work.
“He’s created a lot of memories. I sit in the corner and poke at him every day. Just little things here and there and he’s very receptive to it,” Wegesin said. “He’s a very bright boy and he’s learned to work harder, and he’ll have to do learn to work harder yet when he goes to college.
“He’s more disciplined. He has always been willing to learn, but he’s been more disciplined about his wrestling. Going out and doing specific things, not just whatever happens. He’s also a little faster, a little stronger and a little leaner,” he said.