Center Grove Middle School Central wrestler Xavier Flores recently scaled the top of the podium at the Tallinn Open in Estonia.
Submitted photo
Xavier Flores and his teammates spent a portion of their time abroad doing what tourists do.
And yet between selfies taken, foods sampled and landmarks visited, the remaining hours were dedicated to rest, rehearsal and preparing for the best possible result.
Flores, a 13-year-old seventh-grader at Center Grove Middle School Central, represented the United States in international wrestling competition at the Tallinn Open in Estonia last month, going 7-0 in his weight class (42 kilograms/92 pounds) in Greco-Roman style and 1-2 in freestyle.
He picked up the first-place medal in Greco, pinning his U.S. teammate, Jaxten Bowler, in the final.
The squad was comprised of nearly 50 wrestlers ages 12-17.
“Xavier was there for 10 days,” said Joel Flores, his father. “The first few days were for cultural experiences. They went to museums. Interacted with the locals.
“For Xavier, winning this championship, it was a pretty big deal. He loves wrestling, so as parents we’re trying to foster that.”
Estonia is a country in northern Europe, south of Finland and west of Russia. Tallinn is the nation’s capital, as well as its most populated city with approximately 445,000 residents.
The Tallinn Open, held in March, featured a total of 2,400 wrestlers from 32 different countries. A total of 14 wrestling mats were set up inside Unibet Arena, which can be set up to accommodate anywhere from 7,200 to 10,000 spectators.
Flores was among the 33 wrestlers competing in Greco-Roman in his weight class, including three of his U.S. teammates.
He improved, according to his father, as the competition wore on, starting with a pin of Vitkus Ugnius of Lithuania in a first-round and proceeding to prevail in his next six matches.
With his parents, Joel and Charity, and brother Miguel, a freshman at Center Grove High School, there to root him on, Flores worked his way to the top of the awards podium.
This was a departure from a year ago when, as a sixth-grader, Flores took part in the same tournament and finished with a 3-4 record at 38 kilograms (83 pounds).
“I thought since I didn’t do so well last year that I wanted to prove to myself that I could win in international competition,” Flores said. “That was my goal.
“This year I knew what I was going against, so I was a little more confident.”
Flores shared the mat with wrestlers from South Africa, Lithuania, Finland and other countries.
“I just didn’t know if I could place as high as I wanted,” said Flores, who is preparing to wrestle in the U.S. Open in Las Vegas from April 27-30. “Now that I’ve won this style, it gives me a lot of confidence.”
The time Flores spent in a foreign country wasn’t merely for wrestling purposes. It was about lifelong memories produced both on and off the mat. Expanding one’s horizons with those of like interest.
“Xavier has been wrestling for about seven years. I wrestled in high school, and I wanted to get my boys in the sport because I thought it would be good for them,” Joel Flores said.
“I just think wrestling helps with all aspects of life. Discipline, and just the everyday challenges of life. We told him last year we’re not sending you over there to win. We’re sending you over there for the experience.”
This time around, he did both.
