MALE
Dawson Combest, Columbus East senior wrestler
Combest won three matches Friday to claim the 138-pound division in the Hoosier Hills Conference Tournament. A day earlier, he upset top-ranked 138-pounder Blake Mulkey of Brownsburg 2-1 in overtime.
His performance last week: “I think I wrestled pretty well. Definitely beating No. 1 is very good and a big confidence boost for semistate and state. I need to keep working and make a one-point match a three- or four-point match.”
Do you do anything special to prepare? “I just try to keep calm, relax and talk wrestling with everybody on the team.”
Favorite drink: “Sweet tea”
Favorite food: “Qdoba chicken bowl”
Favorite book: “The Gucci Man Autobiography.”
Favorite class: “Volleyball coach Stacie Pagnard’s weights class”
Role model: “My dad (Scott Combest).”
Best advice: “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.”
Athletics goal: “Individual state champ, team state champ and NCAA All-American (at University of Indianapolis).”
If you could travel anywhere: “Back to Aruba with my dad because that was a really great vacation.”
FEMALE
Sami Heathcote, Columbus North sophomore gymnast
Heathcote won the vault and floor and finished second on the bars and beam on her way to an all-around victory at New Palestine. Earlier in the week, she won the floor and finished second in the vault, bars, beam and all-around against Owen Valley.
Her performance last week: “I was able to make all my routines, and I made most of them with good form, so I felt pretty good.”
Do you do anything special to prepare? “Sometimes, I’ll listen to music on the way to meets, and at meets, right before I start my routine, I will take a big breath to help me focus.”
Favorite drink: “Lemonade”
Favorite food: “Macaroni and cheese”
Favorite book: “The Harry Potter series”
Favorite class: “Computer Science”
Role model: “My mom (Trisha Heathcote).”
Best advice: “When you fall get up, and try a little bit harder.”
Athletics goal: “To place in an event at the state meet.”
If you could travel anywhere: “To London, England, because I lived there when I was 1, and I have a bunch of cool pictures, but I don’t have any memories.”
