By By DAN WEISS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Forsaking all others, Brandywine High School senior Adam Ringler has been devoted to wrestling the past two years and that dedication paid off earlier this month.
Ringler qualified for the Division 4 Individual State Finals for the first time in his career and finished fourth in the 145-pound weight class.
Up until his junior year, Ringler was a multiple-sport athlete at Brandywine. He was the starting center on varsity as a sophomore, but couldn't help thinking ahead to the upcoming wrestling season.
In a time when most athletes play as many sports as they can, Ringler showed an uncommon focus as he decided to stick with wrestling and prepare for the sport year-round.
Ringler didn't find out what wrestling was really like until he was in seventh grade.
The first couple years of wrestling, however, sparked a love for the sport that is still with Ringler today.
For the past four winter sports seasons, Ringler has been a key to the Brandywine varsity wrestling team and helped the Bobcats win district titles in each of his four years. He tallied more than 100 individual victories along the way.
The overall focus on one sport translated into an intense pre-match routine for Ringler.
Finishing fourth at the State Finals was never something Ringler planned on, though he did have a goal in mind.
Ringler, who carries a grade point average of 3.5, is considering the possibility of wrestling in college, though academics are his top priority.