Freeman feels no pressure heading into wrestling season

One Poplar Bluff High School athlete won’t allow the high expectations to hold her back as she prepares for the upcoming wrestling season.

Making it to the state wrestling tournament has become the norm for junior wrestler Zoe Freeman, but rather than focusing on making it back to the big show, her only concern is getting better.

After snagging fifth place in the Class 2 State Tournament last season, Freeman didn’t waste any time getting back on the mat. During the summer, she spent many hours polishing her takedown skills and correcting previous shortcomings by attending camps.

“I had a really good summer,” Freeman said. “I went to the University of Iowa’s camp and trained with the Hawkeyes. Overall, it was a pretty good camp, and just the short time I spent with them allowed me to get better. I believe I got a lot from it. One of the biggest growths I’ve seen within myself is being more aggressive on my feet, so this summer was very beneficial for me.”

Freeman is a two-time state medalist, finishing last season with a record of 34-6, with 28 pins. She was Class 2 District 1 runner-up and was named the Patriot Classic, St. Charles Invite and SEMO Conference champion. Freeman received the SEMO Conference Most Outstanding Wrestler award, placed second in the Union Tournament, and landed third in the Bring the Hammer and Kyle Thrasher tournaments.

The Lady Mules kicked off their season in the Bolivar Wrestling Tournament, and Freeman got off to a solid start by winning first place in the 190-pound division. She said heading into this season is all about having better focus than last year and improving her positioning and conditioning.

“I feel pretty good about the season,” Freeman said. “I’m really heading into it with a different mindset than before. I feel more zoned in on the small things that hurt me in the past, so this season is really geared toward being more focused.”

Freeman said that over the past couple of years, she has put a lot of pressure on herself heading into the wrestling season. While everyone continues to hold Freeman to a higher standard than others, she vows to keep the same work ethic, but this season is about having fun.

“My goal this year is to enjoy the sport as a whole and not just districts or state,” She said. “I really just want to have more fun and enjoy everything rather than putting all this pressure on myself whenever I step onto the mat to do my thing. I will be satisfied with whatever happens as long as I do my best.”

Though Freeman’s ultimate goal is to have fun, her expectations of attempting to be the best won’t change. She said once districts and state come around, she knows her coach will help her refocus and do whatever is needed to win, but now, she will enjoy the grind.

“This year, I plan to take it day by day and just kind of do it in the moment,” Freeman said. “I want to live and wrestle in the moment. I want to quit focusing on the future and worry about the present. I will work hard to get to state, but that’s two months away. I just got to keep getting better, and hopefully, when the moment arrives, I will be ready.”