Owen Sego enters this week’s Spartan Classic at Connersville High School having won 14 of 15 matches this season.
The Indian Creek freshman might switch to a new weight class anyway.
Sego, a fixture at 113 pounds to this point, is working to drop to the 106 division. If not at Connersville’s two-day event (Thursday-Friday), perhaps at some point between now and the time the Braves participate in the Mooresville Sectional on Jan. 28.
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Whenever and wherever, Sego promises to be a difficult out.
“Owen is a kid that’s been in our program who I’ve been excited about for a long time,” Braves coach Pat Dowty said. “I want to say he was a third- or fourth-grader when his parents moved to Indian Creek.
“He was good then, but he’s really good now. He’s hard-nosed and he’s got great workout partners with Alex Mosconi (126 pounds) and Gabe Pitzulo (120). That’s why Owen is going to be a really tough kid.”
Sego’s lone setback was a 7-6 loss to Seth Horty, an Evansville Memorial senior, at the Memorial Invitational earlier this month. Sego was ahead by a point late, but Horty, the state’s ninth-ranked wrestler at 113, rallied inside the final 10 seconds.
The freshman’s preference would be to sport a 15-0 mark going into Connersville’s two- day event.
Nevertheless, Sego is content with his debut season of varsity wrestling.
“I feel I’m doing well this year,” he said. “I’m just trying to stay competitive and make it to state. I just gradually wanted to move down in weight and not do it all at one time. I’m confident that if I’m doing well at 113, I’ll do even better at 106.”
Being separated by two — and maybe soon three — weight classes doesn’t deter Sego from believing he can score a victory against Mosconi, the defending regional runner-up at 113, during practice sessions.
Sego is ranked 10th among the state’s 113-pounders; Mosconi is seventh at 126.
Dowty said Sego takes the mat with the mindset of “I want to defeat Alex” rather than “Oh, I have to wrestle Alex.”
“I haven’t beaten him, but wrestling against Alex every day makes me better,” Sego said. “I think one day I’ll get to the level where I could beat him, but as long as I’m improving, that’s the main thing.”
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THE SEGO FILE
Name: Owen Sego
Age: 14
Born: Greenwood, Indiana
Family: Parents, Neil and Nicole; brother, Ethan, 16
Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese
Favorite athlete: David Taylor
Favorite team: Ohio State University wrestling
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