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Grajales Seeking Olympic Berth

Tribune photo by KELVIN MA

Eric Grajales, 18, throws his brother, Cesar, 22, during a practice session at Brandon High School.

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By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 10, 2008

Updated: 06/10/2008 03:04 am

BRANDON - Eric Grajales has chased the dream of being an Olympian since the first time he slipped on a wrestling singlet.

On Friday, Grajales will have the chance to turn that dream into reality.

Grajales, a standout wrestler at Brandon High, will compete in the United States Olympic Wrestling Trials in Las Vegas. He will wrestle in the men's 55 kilogram/121-pound Greco-Roman division, a division he qualified for by placing fifth at the 2008 Las Vegas/ASICS National Wrestling Championships.

Grajales, an 18-year-old who last week completed his junior year in high school, will be competing against the nation's elite wrestlers for a spot on the U.S. Olympic wrestling team for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. The winner of each division qualifies for the Olympics.

While Grajales, the fifth seed, will be making his first appearance on wrestling's grandest stage, that hasn't stopped him from envisioning himself living the dream by wearing the red, white and blue and going for an Olympic medal against the best in the world.

"I've thought about it making Olympic team, and obviously that is big motivation," Grajales said. "That sparks me up. I start going and I think about it; I can just picture myself wrestling at the Olympic Trials, doing good and just amazing people.

Cesar Grajales can remember his son at 1 year old displaying his trademark aggressiveness. Cesar and Leslie Grajales, Eric's mother, would tote Eric along to the youth matches for the couple's eldest son, Cesar. Eric, though, refused to be overshadowed and would always manage to escape the clutches of the stroller and scurry onto the mat.

"He would jump out and try to jump on people, trying to wrestle them," Cesar said.

When Eric was 5, his father began taking him to train at the Brandon Wrestling Club, and it certainly didn't take long for the coach to take notice.

"Eric was a special kid right out of the shoot," said Brandon Wrestling Club coach Russ Cozart, also the longtime coach at Brandon High. "He was a ball of fire, and he was just, right from the start, very, very good."

Nothing but success has followed since Grajales began training at the BWC. There have been numerous honors and accolades on the youth level, including multiple national championships. At the high school level, Grajales is undefeated and is a three-time state champion. He's also twice been a member of the U.S. Junior World Team.

"That kid, in his whole entire life, has lost very few matches," Cozart said. "I don't think he's ever had a down year."

Trapped in all the success, Grajales said there have been two defining moments in his wrestling career, moments that let him know the goal of one day being an Olympian was attainable.

The first came during the summer after his freshman year at Brandon, when Grajales was named the 2006 Junior Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year, an award presented by USA Wrestling's Greco-Roman National Team program. That award came after an impressive run in Greco-Roman tournaments that included a gold medal at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior National Greco-Roman Championships.

The second came during April's U.S. Senior Nationals.

"Before U.S. Nationals, I was going in hoping to place and win a couple of matches. I don't think it clicked for me how close to these guys I was," Grajales said. "I went out to Nationals and I ended up taking fifth, which was better than I thought I'd do. And I felt like I wrestled real good against the older guys, the guy that won Spenser Mango and the guy that took third Jermaine Hodge.

"After both of those matches, I knew that if I wrestled a great match and if I do the right things and don't make any mistakes, I have a chance to beat these guys."

And he's going to Las Vegas with the mind-set he can do just that.

Grajales' family will make the trip to Las Vegas in support. He also will take with him the well-wishes of his teammates, coaches and community.

When Friday comes, Grajales knows a flood of emotions will come with it, and that's something for which he's done his best to prepare.

He's also prepared to do his best to make his dream come true.

"That's what I want to do," Grajales said. "I want to have a chance to wrestle for the U.S. team at the Olympics."

Reporter Adam Adkins can be reached at (813) 657-4533 or aadkins@tampatrib.com.

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