Like Fargo, Super 32 is a national wrestling family reunion

Photo L-R: Rob Koll, Enock Francois, Zach Tanelli and Jared Frayer. Photo by Tony Rotundo.

Editor’s Note: This article appeared in WIN’s Volume 32 Issue 2, which printed on Oct. 31, 2025. 

By Tristan Warner

You may have never heard this fun fact, but at Disneyland and Disney World, you physically cannot take 30 steps in any direction without passing a trash can. Per the parks’ historical accounts, Walt Disney observed that people will walk about 30 steps before dropping litter. With that in mind, he mandated that trash receptacles be placed every 30 feet throughout all of his parks.

What does this have to do with wrestling? Fair question.

After spending two full days at the Greensboro Coliseum for the annual Super 32 Challenge, I was reflecting on the sheer volume of people I crossed paths with that I either know personally or recognized. The Super 32, in similar fashion to Fargo, is a who’s who exhibit of wrestling names and faces.

The Disney trash can reference came to mind when I considered the fact that it was pretty difficult to take 20-30 steps in any direction of the facility without either bumping into someone I knew or intersecting a recognizable wrestling face.

The competition floor is littered with not only many of the nation’s top high school and middle school wrestlers but also an innumerable quantity of high school, college and club coaches serving in various capacities, whether there to coach athletes of their own or to recruit.

Needless to say, for someone who has ate, slept and breathed wrestling for over three decades, I am at an interesting age in which so many of my former peers are now involved as parents, coaches, or both. Some of the conversations and interactions apart from the actual wrestling make up the most memorable moments of this event annually.

That is really saying something considering Super 32 has become the nation’s premier preseason wrestling event. Each year, the number of nationally-ranked wrestlers in the brackets seems to rise. With that, so does the quantity of collegiate coaches in attendance. The belts shine a little brighter, and the difficulty level of actually obtaining one ascends correspondingly.

But as is spoken by nearly every coach ever profiled in WIN’s USA Wrestling Coach’s Corner section, which totals over 50 published as of this issue, the relationships and bonds forged through the sport transcend the outcomes. That may sound like corny or cliché coach speak, but it really is the truth. Perhaps no other event besides possibly Fargo illustrates this concept like Super 32.

Roaming the Greensboro Coliseum for two days bumping into so many former teammates, coaches, opponents, and even subjects I’ve interviewed for WIN Magazine is such a rewarding experience.

And the funny thing is, the brief conversations and interactions shared at events like this are almost always spent recalling a funny story or memory. As I am sure many other former wrestlers and coaches can attest to this, notice how little time is spent discussing accomplishments, achievements or results.

In my mind, it really provides evidence that bolsters the aforementioned “coach speak” advice … the relationships and bonds forged mean the most. The funny stories and the meaningful memories are what you draw upon when reunited with past wrestling acquaintances, or even adversaries.

Shortly after I was eliminated at the NCAA Championships for the last time in 2015, I overheard another wrestler, who had also fallen short of All-American status in his final attempt, say, “Well … now all we have left are stories.”

That line has always stuck with me. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize even if I had achieved the goal of reaching the podium, I would still just be a former wrestler only left with stories.

So, for all those wrestlers still competing, remember to savor every moment. While the victories are what you strive for, the memories made in the process will live on for decades and beyond.

(WIN Editor Tristan Warner was a three-time NCAA qualifier for Old Dominion, a two-time NCAA Elite 89 Award recipient and CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-American.)