Cuthbertson wrestler wants to set the standard

Cody Walker accomplished nearly everything a high school wrestler can do last season at Cuthbertson High.

He won the 2A state championship in 120-pound weight class, the 2A West Regional title, the Rocky River conference championship, and the Piedmont and Porter Ridge tournament titles.

But while Walker, 17, etched in his name in Cuthbertson High history by becoming the first male state champion in Cavalier sports’ history (he won his title before the boys soccer team claimed the 2A state title last spring), he still wants more.

“Last year I had a great season, but I was still fighting my way to the top,” Walker said. “I know it’s going to be even harder this season. But I want to be dominant, and I want to try to go undefeated.”

Walker, who is unbeaten so far this season, is ranked No. 1 in the 126-pound weight classes, according to retrorankings.com.

Walker has been one of the state’s best since he arrived at Cuthbertson his sophomore year, when his family moved from the Palm Beach, Fla., area.

After going 31-11 as a 103-pound wrestler at Wellington High in Palm Beach as a freshman, Walker has accumulated a 97-6 mark in two seasons as a Cavalier wrestler, finishing third in the state as a sophomore.

Walker – who also qualified for the National High School Wrestling championships in Virginia Beach, Va., by going 2-2 in his run – wants to show he can be among the nation’s best.

“I definitely want to leave a championship legacy for all the guys who come after me,” Walker said. “But to repeat as state champion, and even place at nationals, would both be records that would be hard to break.”

Cuthbertson high school coach Dan Hartman, in his second year, sees the championship focus in nearly everything Walker does.

“You can already tell that Cody wants to repeat, just by the way he has worked and the way he has wrestled this year,” Hartman said. “You can see it in his eyes, and he doesn’t need any extra motivation.”

Walker’s success comes with a ton of hard work.

The Cuthbertson senior is on the mat year round. When he is not wrestling for Cavaliers, he can usually be found training for his Buzzsaw Wrestling club team, coached by Jim Avola.

All of that has Walker thinking about wrestling in college. He has visited Ferrum College (Rocky Mount, Va.), UNC Pembroke and also has a lot of interest in Appalachian State.

“I am not thinking about this being an end to my wrestling career; hopefully, it is just the beginning,” Walker said. “I love wrestling, and even when I take a few days or a week off, from time to time, I am always itching to get back on the mat.”

Walker also is focused on helping a younger Cuthbertson team develop.

Seniors Josh Hattaway (132), Cody Cook (152) and sophomore Joe Walther (170) should be state contenders. But Walker is interested in helping the Cavaliers’ youngest athletes – like freshmen Mike Benedetto (106) and Noah Walker, Cody’s younger brother, who is wrestling in the 120-pound class.

“It’s a new experience for me to be a leader that everyone looks up to,” Walker said. “But I think it not only helps me get better, but also motivates the younger guys, especially Noah. I want him and all the younger guys to say ‘Cody did that and I want to do that, too.’

“I’ve been able to improve each year in high school, getting steadily better and better. But with this being my final shot, I want to be at my best. To win it all again would be something that people talk about for a long time.”