Wrestling: Hard knocks pay off for Lake Stevens' Josh Heinzer

LAKE STEVENS — When Josh Heinzer was a freshman, he considered quitting.

During a season spent working with Lake Stevens teammates Zach Zweifel and Jack Stilwell — the 103-pound state champion and runner-up in 2007 — there were times when the potential for future success didn't seem to justify the daily beatings he took in practice.

"My freshman year, man, I wanted to quit so bad," Heinzer said.

Instead of giving up, he fought his way to back-to-back state titles the next two seasons. Now, when he steps onto a wrestling mat, he considers himself the hammerhead in the room.

"I feel like if I didn't have those two just kicking my butt every day I couldn't really have gotten to that next level," Heinzer said.

These days, instead of quitting, Heinzer doesn't want his high-school career to end.

"I love it here," he said. "I don't really want to leave, but I know I have to."

For Heinzer, there is something about wrestling that just makes sense. He found the sport through his friend and teammate, Steven Walkley. They started out in Walkley's front yard, wrestling on blankets spread out on the grass and graduated to mats rolled out in Walkley's living room.

"I've never really connected like that with any other sport," Heinzer said. "I stepped into the wrestling room and I was like, 'This is where I belong.' It was so much fun. I would go home and play video games, but I just didn't get that same exhilaration I would get in the wrestling room."

Walkley, a 135-pound sophomore, has a hard time finding the right words to describe the frenetic pace Heinzer brings to a wrestling mat. After testing out several things that didn't quite sum up his friend, Walkley settled on "little Hulk."

"He's a crazy guy," Walkley said. "He never stops moving."

The energy Heinzer brings to the mat sets an example for his teammates. After practicing against Zweifel and Stilwell in addition to learning from Oregon State sophomore Kelly Kubec and the 11 seniors on last season's state-title team, Heinzer is the latest wrestler to assume a leadership position for the Vikings.

"If kids want to get better, they come to me," Heinzer said. "I wrestle everyone the same. I don't wrestle anyone softer or easier. That's what gets everyone better. We know we have a lot of tradition here, but we try not to let it get to us. We come in here every day and we have a purpose, a goal. We try to work harder than everyone else."

He helps set the tone for a program working toward its fourth straight state title and fifth in six years.

"For him, it's pretty simple," Lake Stevens coach Brent Barnes said. "He wants to win a state title. He doesn't live in the past. He values being a state champion. Just because he's done it before, it's not old hat. It's a big thing to him."

Heinzer is undefeated this season. He started at 119 pounds, then dropped to 112 last weekend to compete in the Tri State Tournament in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He pinned his first four opponents and claimed a 5-3 decision in the finals. But for Heinzer, his individual finishes are only important if they contribute to the team's success.

"When I step on the mat, I'm wrestling for my team," he said. "It's not about me. I go out there and I do the best I can to get the most points for our team."

Mason Kelley: 206-464-8277 or mkelley@seattletimes.com