It is pretty widely known that wrestling is a tough sport with a lot of tough competitors. However, there are few who really embody the determination of the sport better than senior Andy Early.

This is not simply because of the countless hours of live wrestling in practice or the insane workout sessions throughout the summer.

It’s because Early wrestled despite an injury that would leave most athletes on the sidelines. With a torn ACL, he not only finished the season, but finished with a silver medal around his neck from the State tournament.

For those not familiar with this kind of injury, the ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is one of the four major knee ligaments. It keeps the knee from collapsing when dodging through the hallways on the way to your car at the end of the day.

Early stepped onto the mat for the first time in kindergarten at the age of five. He wrestled the majority of his little league career for Team St. Louis. While on the team, Early earned his first taste of success at the USA State Tournament.

He said that he stuck with wrestling for this long because, “I knew we would have a really good team in high school and I had a lot of close friends on the team.”

With a record of 49-3, and all three losses to State champion J’Den Cox, Early was a big part of Lafayette’s undefeated dual team this season.

Still, Early was disappointed that he ended his career with a loss in the finals.

But, “I’m proud I was able to push myself through the whole season with a torn ACL and whatnot,” Early said, “It was like a test for myself not quit and take the easy way out.”