3 Knights athletes tackle nationwide competition
Greensboro – For Ben Wachacha, William Cable and Caden Lail, the last two weeks have been perhaps some of the most exciting of their young lives.
The Robbinsville athletes each recently made an indelible mark on the Amateur Athletic Union’s annual Junior Olympics, which just wrapped up after a lengthy stay in the area.
The only member of the trio who recently graduated, Wachacha donned a singlet for the BaynardTrained team in the boys freestyle duals, which were held at the Greensboro Coliseum from July 27-29. BaynardTrained finished second in the duals.
Competing at 220 pounds, the University of Mount Olive-commit and two-time 1A state champion cherished one last opportunity to compete at the high-school level.
“I had a really good experience with my team and wrestling was an all-out good time,” said Wachacha. “(I’m) bummed about (his team finishing in) second place, but happy to still be wrestling and bettering myself, on and off the mat.
“I am excited to see what wrestling will bring me in the future.”
Wachacha mowed down Deven Clawson of Lute de Louisiane, La., in the third dual via first-period pinfall, before earning an 11-8 decision over the School of Hard Knocks’ Barry Smith II in the team’s finale.
Cable has barely paused this summer, attending AAU events across several states nearly every weekend. The rising Black Knights senior also attended a track and field camp at Duke University to help improve his technique.
His hard work is already paying dividends. At the track and field events – held at N.C. A&T University – Cable finished eighth in the 17-18 age group of the 1,500-meter run on Aug. 2, clocking in at 4:45.76 – a personal record. He later took 11th in the 3,000-meter run Saturday, with a time of 10:57.48.
“It was an honor to represent Robbinsville at a national meet like the Junior Olympics,” Cable said. “It’s also kind of bittersweet, because it was my last time competing in AAU after doing it for three years. I believe that the competition level was as high as I have ever faced, and I enjoyed getting to race against some of the best in the nation. The atmosphere was unlike any other meet I had ever been to; it made your adrenaline pump every lap that you completed.
“I feel that this helped show anyone that no matter where you come from – like our small town, the big city or even another country – that anyone can compete at this level, as long as you keep working hard and you never give up.”
Lail began his pole-vault career this season with Robbinsville and has already reached new heights of success. A rising sophomore, his stint in Greensboro on Aug. 4 resulted in a 10-feet, 6-inch mark in the 15-16 age bracket, tying his personal record.
“First of all, I want to think God for giving me the ability and opportunity to be where I am at today in pole vault,” Lail said. “After practicing in the off hours and seeking out other coaches in neighboring counties to help me get better, my journey to state in May – and the Junior Olympics last week – was incredible. I didn’t even know how to pole vault at the beginning of track season, but overall, the Junior Olympics was a great experience.
“I can’t wait to see where God takes me down the road.”