This Maryland high school player profiles series is presented by the U.S. Army.
Owen Bell, a sophomore on the Hereford High School wrestling team, was nominated for the Maryland high school player profiles series by Bulls assistant coach Brett Baier.
“Despite the COVID restrictions and Baltimore County Public Schools canceling winter sports, Owen continues to increase his strength and conditioning and continues to find tough competition on the mat, such as the Headhunters Wrestling Club practices,” Baier said.
“Although only a 10th-grader, Owen would’ve been one of Hereford’s co-captains this season,” he added.
Bell, who wrestles in the 113-pound weight class, competed in the Tulsa Nationals in January. He finished with three wins and two losses at Tulsa, with two wins coming via pins and the other a 9-0 result. As a freshman last year, he won Baltimore County and regional championships.
He answered a few questions about being nominated.
PressBox: What does it mean to you to be recognized by your coach like this?
Owen Bell: Well I’m really glad about it. I guess I kind of deserve it because I’ve been working pretty hard on the offseason training, at the practices and stuff, with all this stuff going on.
PB: How did you get into wrestling? What do you like about the sport, and how’d you become as good as you’ve become?
OB: I started in first grade. In first grade I did soccer, and then I started wrestling and I pretty much liked it from the beginning. So, I’ve been pretty much doing it consistently for a while now. And in the offseason, I do freestyle and [Greco-Roman wrestling] and stuff like that. So I started in like first grade. I really liked the sport, very much.
PB: What’s been your favorite moment from wrestling so far?
OB: Probably my freshman year when I won counties and regionals because in the finals, it was [against] a kid that I never beaten before, in all my past years, even in middle school. So I’d never beaten him before.
PB: What does it mean to you that you would’ve been a co-captain as a sophomore? And how did you rise to that level of leadership so quickly?
OB: I think it’s just because I work hard. I mean, I’m not a very talkative leader. I just kind of do my own thing and I kind of lead by example, I think.
PB: Sports-wise, how have you handled the pandemic? How hard has it been and what are you doing to stay busy?
OB: It’s been hard. So, when it first started, I was on a long break, probably three months or so, and then we figured out that there was a competition starting in Utah. So I started training for that at this one club. And after that competition I moved to another club called Headhunters, and I’ve been going there for maybe seven months now. … That’s how I was pretty much staying busy, by just practicing in that club.
PB: What are your goals for the rest of your high school career, and do you have any early plans for after high school?
OB: I hope to win a state championship, and I’d like to wrestle in college. I’m probably going to be focused more on school, but I’d like to wrestle in college for a team. Maybe Division I, but I’m not sure yet. I’m still looking. I’m looking at schools now, just a few different ones. I’m still not really too sure.
To nominate an athlete or team for a future U.S. Army Player/Team Profile, visit PressBoxOnline.com/Impact.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Owen Bell