March 7 concluded Eleanor Roosevelt High School’s (ERHS) wrestling season in triumphant fashion, as eight tried and failed to halt the title aspirations of ERHS Austin Hayes, a junior, and Leo Foreman, a senior, at 113 and 157 pounds respectively. This marked the first time Eleanor Roosevelt Wrestling would bring home two male state champions within the same season.
Hayes would add on to the history-making as after defeating Chesapeake’s Quin Greenstreet 7-3, he would become the first ever two-time state champion not only from Roosevelt, but from all of Prince George’s County. Notably he has done so at two different weights, last year at 106 pounds and this season at 113 pounds. This would also mark Hayes’ third straight year in the finals after placing second his freshman year.
The final road for Foreman had a much more dramatic
atmosphere surrounding it. State was a do-or-die environment, “I just had to remind myself this was my last year and how hard I’ve worked,” recalled Foreman. Despite the pressure, he was able to secure his finals spot against Frederick Douglass High School’s Victor Guerra. A fittingly dramatic finish would take Guerra into overtime and Foreman would come out victorious with a last-minute takedown. “It was honestly just a feeling of relief” were the words Foreman chose to describe the initial flood of emotions, adding that “it showed me that if I do the work, I can do really special things.”
The two Raiders hope to continue wrestling, with Hayes planning to add another medal his senior year and Foreman hoping to transition into Brazilian jiu-jitsu going into college.
Osmel Sosa Chavez is an ERHS student and staff writer for the Raider Review, where this article first appeared. He is also a member of the wrestling team.
