By BILL MURPHY
The Times
Flowery Branch’s Carson Fields could hear the excitement from his Team Georgia teammates. And he knew exactly why they were cheering.
His opponent could only imagine the mistake he had just made.
Fields, 16, was in the championship match of the Cadet National Greco-Roman wrestling finals in Fargo, N.D., and his opponent and New York state champion, Jesse Carling, had just made a critical error.
While trying to make a counter move, Carling’s stomach lodged into Fields’ chest as they stood on the center mat at the Fargodome. With Carling locked in his arms, Fields quickly threw his opponent to the mat, converting a five-point throw to seal the victory and a national title.
Fields, currently a Parkview High junior, became only the third grappler from Georgia to win the title.
“As soon as I won I just started running and jumping around the mat, “said Fields, who transferred to Parkview after his mother, Tara, took a job the Lilburn school . “It was just the most unbelievable feeling.”
The win for Fields puts a silver-lining on a season that was filled with some disappointment for one of the top wrestlers from Class AAAAA.
He was headed for the finals in the 103-pound division of the traditional state tournament this season, but failed to make the required weight going into the championship bout.
Then things got even worse for Fields, who injured himself while trying to drop that extra weight and had to forfeit the match and finish second.
He was determined not to be dealt the same fate at the Greco-Roman national championships.
“Now that I’m the national champion, I’ll have to train twice as hard because I have a bullseye on my back now, “Fields said.
Fields had the ultimate adrenaline rush going into the finals with in front a packed dome of fans.
He also thanks his father for helping give him a mental advantage going into the match.
“It’s just an indescribable feeling, “Fields’ father Shawn Fields noted. “He has worked so hard for this.
“It’s all about his attitude on the mat.”
And now that Fields is a national champion, it’s clear he has the ultimate redemption for not taking home the state title.
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