Torrence leading by example

By Zack Thompson

As his senior season comes to a close, Jared Torrence is still working hard to make sure wrestling is headed in the right direction.

Torrence has had 13 wins this season and is No. 30 in his weight class at 285 and has won four of his last five matches. He said he has seen a lot of improvement between last season and this season.

Torrence, a four-time letter winner in football and wrestling at Norwalk High School in Norwalk, Ohio, has been a consistent starter for the Huskies at the heavyweight division this season.

“I feel like it has been a good season for me, personally. I’ve had a lot of gains from last year to this year,” Torrence said. “I’ve really been able to improve match to match. I’ve gotten more aggressive offensively, which had been a problem for me in the past.”

Head coach Ryan Ludwig said he is proud of how Torrence has performed this season, and said having Torrence as the anchor of the team has been huge for the Huskies.

“I couldn’t ask for a better leader and senior captain than Jared Torrence,” Ludwig said. “Jared is all about doing things the right way. He’s an extremely hard worker, all about the team, listens to what the coaches tell him, and he works his tail off. When you know you have Jared at the end of your lineup and you know he’s going to bring the intensity and go to work for you, it’s a great feeling.”

Torrence is more focused on how he can help his teammates get better heading into the MAC tournament than talking about his individual accomplishments this season.

Torrence said his team is ready for the MAC Tournament and getting a victory in the final MAC dual against Buffalo should help them bring some momentum into the tournament.

“It’s a nice confidence booster,” Torrence said. “We have a good team, and the younger guys on the team really don’t know how good they are yet. I think getting the victory at Buffalo will help us unleash our true potential during the MAC Tournament.”

He tries to set a good example for the underclassmen with a strong work ethic.

“I just work hard every day in practice,” Torrence said. “You have to fight through every position, and as the younger guys see that it’ll help them get fired up for the MAC. Trusting what the coaches tell us to do is a big thing, too, and as a senior leader listening to what the coaches say is big, and the younger guys will see that and will be able to unleash their full potential, as well.”

Ludwig said Torrence is not only a vocal leader for the Huskies, but also a good wrestler to emulate.

“He rallies the guys, is an emotional leader and really leads by example,” Ludwig said. “Having a heavyweight like Jared is a valuable commodity, and we’re extremely proud to have Jared Torrence in that spot for us.”