Sandburg’s Ryan Hinger knows the downside of looking past an overmatched opponent.
The 144-pound senior wrestler, however, makes sure to keep everything right in front of him.
“It all comes down to grit and how much you want it,” he said. “I’ve wrestled a couple of guys who were not close to my level. But, man, they really wanted it and I could tell they were coming.
“You need that mentality of never stopping.”
Hinger was basically unstoppable Saturday, producing two wins by fall and another by technical fall as the Eagles swept through the Lincoln-Way West Mega Duals in New Lenox.
Ranked No. 4 by Illinois Matmen at 144, Hinger improved his record to 28-2 and helped lead the Eagles (20-3) to one-sided victories over Plainfield North, Maine South and Downers Grove South.
Senior 215-pounder Nate Elstner posted three falls in leading the host Warriors to a 3-0 team mark for Lincoln-Way West (13-5).
Hinger, an Elmhurst recruit, showcased excellent timing, explosive quickness and the ability to dominate on his feet or off his turns.
“I’m one of the guys who will attack and never let off the gas,” Hinger said. ”Conditioning is one of my best talents, along with speed. I like to be rough and really push the tempo.”
A two-time state qualifier, Hinger went 44-6 last season at 138 and finished fourth in Class 3A. He lost a one-point overtime decision to Marist senior Donavon Allen in the third-place match.
The order on the podium at state was its own reckoning.
“Last season helped a lot by taking fourth,” Hinger said. “That feeling of being one step lower than everybody else made me realize I’m not there yet or I’m not the best I can be.
“That experience motivated me to work during the summer and through the first part of the season.”
Virginia recruit Rocco Hayes, a senior who finished third at 106 last season, also went 3-0 Saturday at 113.
Their bond is unshakeable.
“We’ve been best friends for four years and the bread and butter of Sandburg wrestling,” Hayes said. ”Ryan’s a hard worker who puts his head down and just does what he does.
“His work ethic really helps him become who he is today.”
Sandburg coach Clinton Polz has tracked Hinger’s growth and development in a sport that demands elite physical and mental toughness.
“I think what he did last year showed that he’s right there and he’s a step away,” Polz said “Obviously, the goal for most wrestlers is to be an undefeated state champion.
“Sometimes, you fall short and then you have to recalibrate for the next year. He has made a lot of mental jumps.”
Hinger started the sport competitively at age 4, going through club programs in Orland Park.
Growing up, his deeply competitive nature emerged in family events with younger brother Gunner, a sophomore who is on the swimming, track and cross country teams at Sandburg.
Ryan also has his own solitary pursuits and interests.
”You’re in the gym, and all the lights are on you, and that’s a lot of pressure,” he said. “I don’t play video games or anything like that. I’ve never had a video console.
“I go outside for fishing and hunting and get natural light. It’s living life.”
But being on the mat fulfills something basic and elementary with few substitutes.
“Wrestling forces you to always be better than the person in front of you,” Hinger said. “You might forget a match that you win, but you never forget the losses.
“Every day I come to practice, I think about those two matches I lost, and what I have to do to continue to build and get better.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.