Back in early August, young wrestler Rhys Dukes took the mat in what he could only describe as an incredible atmosphere. While the lights were bright, Dukes showed his might and took down a nationally represented field at the Cowboy Rumble Championship in Branson, Missouri.

Dukes won his 9U, 82-pound division at the prestigious Cowboy Rumble Championship without a single blemish. The youngster went 4-0 and won three out of his four matches virtue of an opponent fall. 

“There was like 20 different states there,” Dukes recalled. “It was a different type of wrestling with the guys I went up against.”

Dukes, who recently began strength training with at JD Fit, said his training has helped him reach new heights. He also gave credit to his wrestling coach, Shawn Cassidy, who now helps coach at Ferris State University.

 

^{Photo of Dukes wrestling at the Cowboy Rumble Tournament (Courtesy of Kayla Dukes).}

“You have to give some credit to them,” Rhys said. “They've helped me with my cardio and my ‘bounce back’ mentality.”

While Dukes is currently back in school and practicing for the upcoming football season, he also has plans to attend another national tournament in late October in Canton, Ohio.

“I’ll be going to do 'Gridiron' down at the football hall of fame.” Dukes said.

When asking Dukes about his ultimate goals, he said wrestling collegiately and winning a state championship are near the top of his list.

^{Photos courtesy of Kayla Dukes and JDFit.}