CEDAR FALLS (KWWL) -
Blayne Beale wasn't introduced to the sport of wrestling until 7th grade. And even then, Blayne career got off to a rather inauspicious start.
"I think maybe a forfeit or two were my wins, and the times I lost, I want to say they were all pins," Beale said. "It was pretty bad; I think a couple times my parents were bribing me to stop."
Now, he has gone from a near-winless wrestler to a competitor at the national tournament. And Beale has turned UNI wrestling into a family affair, welcoming his younger brother Kyle to the program.
"Him being on the team is awesome," Beale said. "I might find myself working a little harder just to get him to work harder, because I know he watches me."
"I've seen him; he really tries to help him," UNI Wrestling coach Doug Schwab said. "He really tries to lead him and mentor him, and sometimes he needs to worry about taking care of himself sometimes a little bit more."
Before too long, Beale will have another member of the family to take care of, as he and his high school sweetheart will be tying the knot in September.
"She's definitely an inspiration to me," Beale said. "She pumps me up before some of the matches, and when I'm wrestling, she's usually out there screaming the loudest."
His fiancee was instrumental in transforming Beale from a D-student as a high school freshman into a member of the honor roll as a sophomore.
"Mainly a lot of it was to impress her, just because I didn't think she wanted to be with some burnout," Beale said. "So I'm not going to be a deadbeat if I'm going to be trying to date someone that awesome."
"I think she does definitely make him want to be better in everything that he does, and that's always a good thing," Schwab added. "Wherever you can find some motivation and desire; wherever that comes from, it's a good thing, and he's using it the right way."
