Wisconsin's only juco wrestling program gives student-athletes a chance on the mat

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - Sometimes, we don’t always know where life will lead. For students at a junior college in Milwaukee, there’s always room for a second chance in the classroom…and on the mat.

From the moment wrestlers step onto the mat, each punch, tackle, and headlock is a step closer to victory.

“It’s just you out there and so no one is going to be there to save you,” said wrestler Zach Clark.

On the mat, it’s them versus their opponent.

“Submit to whatever is happening and let it happen or you can continue to push on and try to progress of that situation,” said wrestler Devan Biersach. “I feel invincible.”

“80% of the battle is the mentality of it,” said wrestler Mick Curly. “At least for me as soon as you shake the hand and the whistle blows, it’s win or lose.”

For nearly every single wrestler here, it wasn’t always this way.

“At first we didn’t even know if we were going to have a program,” said Curly.

At Bryant and Stratton Junior College, a wrestling program may have started three years ago, but this is the year it's come alive.

“It was on life support at the time,” said Coach Omar Hamden.

Hamden worked to change that.

“Their excitement gets me ready to go,” said Hamden.

It’s the only junior college wrestling program in the state of Wisconsin.

“Sometimes it can be more of a mental game than anything,” said wrestler

Dexter Clark-Jones. “There’s not many options that you have in Wisconsin.”

“Coach Omar has brought something that’s really special to this program,” said Biersach. “To be able to have the opportunity to wrestle again – it’s been a while for me.”

It’s the only program these wrestlers will tell you that took a chance on them.

“I’m very grateful. I didn’t expect to do much after high school and then I heard about this offer,” said wrestler Cohen Schmidt.

For Teegan Simpson, it’s also a way to inspire a new generation of girls.

“Seeing the growth of girls wrestling has been amazing,” said Simpson. "You don’t see a lot of women in combat sports but I really enjoy it and I think it’s great.”

Every time she enters this gym, she knows she’s just as good as anyone else in here.

“It’s crazy to hear that women’s wrestling is the fastest growing sport in the country,” said Simpson.

It doesn’t matter when you choose to try something new.

“Even if you started late, women can do everything,” said Simpson.

It doesn’t matter if you’re not sure where life will take you.

“I feel like everyone has this pressure to know exactly what you need to do at the age of 18 which I know I don’t have everything figured out and I’m sure lots of people here don’t as well,” said Simpson.

On this mat, at this junior college, you can take on the battle.

“I don’t think there’s any other sport like it,” said Clark-Jones.