VINCENT - If nothing else, Warren junior Cory Parsons is certainly a goal-setter.
"I like having something to work for. I love the rewards when you actually get there," Parsons said.
And that's certainly not a bad thing.
According to research published by Penn State University there is an inductive relationship between goal setting and improved production performance.
Basically, setting a goal leads to an increased level of performance as individuals or teams work towards achieving their goal.
So when Parsons put on his itinerary 100 wins as a high school wrestler he didn't waste any time getting there.
In fact, as Parsons was approaching what has traditionally been the milestone by which good wrestlers are measured he did exactly what Penn State researchers predict - he went out and became even better.
"I was nervous. I didn't want to lose anymore. I just wanted to get there as quick as possible," Parsons said.
Parsons became the second Warren grappler to surpass the 100 win plateau this season, following on the heels of senior Dustin Harlow, while a third Warrior wrestler - senior Trace Knotts - is at 98 wins and expected to pass the milestone during the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League meet this Saturday.
Strong wrestlers are a tradition at Warren, and something first-year Warrior wrestling coach Neil Brague credits to all the people who have come before him. He especially credits former coach Aaron Schetter for his work with the Harlow, Parsons and Knotts.
"Other people got them down to the 1-yard line. I'm just here to put it in," Brague laughed, making reference to football's short-yardage specialists.
Of the three Warren wrestlers who have crossed or are expected to cross the 100 win mark, Parsons is the only one to do it before his senior campaign, meaning he has averaged more than 34 wins per season.
Having established the goal of 100 wins his first day of high school wrestling, Parsons expected to one day get there, but he certainly didn't expect it to come when it did during his junior season.
"I figured I'd get to 100, but I didn't think it would be this quick," Parsons said.
Parsons' success hasn't come easily, however.
He spent his first years wrestling at the smallest weight class in high school wrestling and this year is only up to the 113-pound class, which typically boasts some of the premiere young wrestlers in the state.
The Warriors also don't make life easy for themselves as they try to find a quality schedule within the budget constraints, meaning they have matches at places like Miami Trace and Sheridan.
"It's not like we wrestle an easy schedule," Brague said.
Schedule aside, Parsons is still making people take notice.
In the 2012 Brakeman report, a wrestling digest published by longtime wrestling guru Brian Brakeman, Parsons is ranked 16th in the state of Ohio in Division II.
The Brakeman even acknowledges Parsons' skill, pointing to his efforts against quality opponents like Dayton Chaminade-Julienne's Lyle Plummer and Clyde's Beau Minnick.
"Parsons wrestles in a kind of out of the way area, but beat Plummer 13-5 at last year's districts and lost to Minnick, 10-9 at states," the Brakeman said.
That kind of recognition is one of the rewards that goes along with accomplishing an established goal.
But once one goal is out of the way Parsons doesn't stop setting goals to go out and achieve.
He just finds something else to work towards.
Now that he's crossed 100 wins, Parsons is setting off in search of Heath Eddleblute's school record of 151 victories. Eddleblute was 151-9 during his high school career with the Warriors.
If things continue as they are, Parsons has an excellent chance to get that record, which has stood for nearly 20 years.
"He has a shot at it," Brague said.
Before getting that type of record, however, Parsons has some items on the list to accomplish this year - like becoming a three-time league champion, a three-time district placer and earning a second trip to state.
For him to accomplish those goals, Parsons knows exactly what he has to work on. "I need to work on shots a little bit more, just wrestling on my feet more," Parsons said.
And if he can accomplish those, it's just one more step towards further cementing his legacy as one of Warren's best, which has already began when his name was printed on the wall of the Warren High School wrestling room with state qualifiers like Eddleblute and Matt McCoy.
"Making it to state last year and getting my name on the wall was just the start," Parsons said.
