The Rise of San Francisco’s State Donald Lockett
1/3/2005 4:16:00 PM
A 2004 NCAA Division II runner-up who won one Californaia high school state tournament match and barely made his college team now has national title hopes
Editor’s Note: This story and interviews for this story were completed before the 2004 Midlands Championships held last week. Lockett finished third this season at 141 at the Midlands “his match-by-match breakdown at this year’s tournament is at the bottom of this story
By Andrew Hipps – TWM Staff Writer
Please send comments, questions or replies to: [email protected]
Donald Lockett (San Francisco State) dec. Travis Lee (Cornell), 6-5
It happened in the first round of the 2003 Midlands Tournament and it’s the match that put San Francisco State 141 pounder Donald Lockett on the map.
Lockett, who finished as the runner-up at 133 pounds in the 2004 Division II national tournament, was a virtual unknown in the sport prior to beating Lee, the 2003 125 pound NCAA Champion from Cornell. But that upset victory changed everything.
“The night before the Midlands I knew that I had Lee,” said Lockett. “I was looking at the Midlands program the night before the tournament and reading about all the upsets that have happened there. I remember thinking, ‘I can beat him.’ I always joked about what if I get to wrestle the first seed in the first round and upset him. And then it happened.”
Lee entered that meeting with Lockett riding a 42-match winning streak. But Lockett shocked everyone except maybe himself by beating Lee.
“That was the breakthrough match for me,” said Lockett. “It made me realize that I could wrestle at that high level and believe that I am as good as I think I am. I’ve always thought that I could beat Lee. I’ve seen him around. I was like he’s not that big, he’s not stronger than me. I just know that when you’re confident and think you can beat someone, then most of the time you can. It just made me feel like I could compete with anyone in the country.”
Lockett went on to win his final two matches of the day, which put him in the semifinals against Illinois’ Mark Jayne, a Division I All-American.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as well on day two of the Midlands for Lockett. He opened the day by dropping an 8-5 decision to Jayne. He then lost his next two matches, placing him sixth. Nonetheless, it was still an outstanding performance by a Division II wrestler competing in arguably the toughest collegiate tournament in the country. But to Lockett it was a disappointment.
“I thought it was pretty horrible,” said Lockett. “I had the best first day and then that second day was just horrible. After my semifinal loss, I didn’t emotionally recover. It was like super high and then a super low. I was really excited the first day and then the next day I didn’t win a match and got beat up. Everyone else was happy for me, but I wasn’t happy. Everyone was like ‘good job, good job,’ and I was like ‘that was horrible,’ I’m better than that.”
To understand Lockett’s disappointment, you have to understand where he came from.
A 2000 graduate of Lowell High School in San Francisco, Lockett was a good high school wrestler, not great. He qualified three times for the California State Tournament, but never placed. In fact, in those three years, he won only one match there.
“I didn’t get recruited at all,” said Lockett. “I didn’t even get one letter. I wanted to say close to home and San Francisco State was right there. It was basically right across the street from my high school. I was thinking about going to a junior college, actually, but my dad didn’t want to me to go there.”
Lockett came to San Francisco State in the fall of 2000 as a local product, just hoping to compete for a Division II wrestling program. But because of issues related to Title IX, Lockett found himself in a battle just to make the roster.
“Donald barely made our team,” said San Francisco State head coach Lars Jensen. “He was one of the last guys taken during his freshman year. But by the end of that year, he beat out the starter and has been in our lineup ever since.”
Lockett finished his freshman season with a 5-13 record.
“That was the longest year ever,” said Lockett. “It just seemed so long. I hadn’t lost that many times ever. I don’t even think I lost that many times in my three years of high school.”
Lockett decided to redshirt the next season, making room in the lineup for a senior. He spent that year refining his technique, getting stronger, and coaching his three younger brothers who were competing in high school.
“I just think that redshirt year made me more anxious to get on the mat,” said Lockett. “I missed not competing.”
Lockett went on to compile a 19-18 record during his sophomore campaign and qualified for his first national tournament. He also became an Academic All-American that season.
“One of my old coaches told me that there are three lives you have as an athlete,” said Lockett. “You have your academic life, your social life, and your wrestling life. And you can only be really good at two of them, so I chose academics and wrestling.”
Lockett’s breakthrough season came last year when he finished with a 30-12 record and placed second in the Division II national tournament – losing in the finals, 6-3, to four-time national champion Cole Province of Central Oklahoma.
In addition to beating Lee last season, Lockett also beat Division I All-American Matt Sanchez of Cal State Bakersfield, 19-16, in a January dual meet. Sanchez had beaten Lockett just two weeks prior to that in the consolation bracket of the Midlands.
“That was a pretty good match,” said Lockett of his second meeting with Sanchez. “I was beating him pretty badly and then he battled back. I built like a ten point lead on him and then just gassed. I was surprised to be up that much, though. But that was a big win for me because I knew that he’d do well at the national tournament.”
After spending this past off-season lifting weight hard and getting bigger, Lockett decided to move up to 141 for his senior season.
“I feel stronger, quicker, and didn’t want to cut much weight,” said Lockett of moving up to 141. “I feel real good. I can just focus more on wrestling and I know that I am strong and quick enough to compete with anyone.”
So far this season, Lockett is 16-2, with both losses coming to NCAA Division I runner-up Matt Murray of Nebraska at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational.
I’m a little upset about those two losses,” Lockett said. “I wasn’t even seeded in Las Vegas and that was kind of surprising to me. I still haven’t reached my ideal performance state yet. I feel that I haven’t hit my rhythm. Usually as the year goes on, I get better.”
Lockett will graduate in May with a degree in liberal studies. He would like to eventually get into coaching and has aspirations of someday starting a youth wrestling program in San Francisco.
He also plans on competing in the U.S. Nationals (freestyle) in Las Vegas in April. However, he isn’t sure what his competitive future holds.
“If I choose to keep wrestling, I want to be the best,” said Lockett. “It’s a long commitment and there are other things I want to do, too. But if I still have that hunger, I don’t see why I would stop wrestling. I just want to be satisfied because I’ve never really felt satisfied with my career. “
But for now, his focus is on his final collegiate season.
“I’m just looking forward to every match right now because it’s my senior year,” said Lockett. “I love showcasing my abilities and showing everyone that I could be competing as a Division I athlete.”
And if everything goes as planned for Lockett, he will be sitting at the top of the podium in March.
“I didn’t think in my wildest dreams that he would ever get to the level that he is at right now,” said Jensen.
How could he.
Donald Lockett Match-by-Match at the 2004 Midlands Tournament
Round of 32 Lockett major decisioned Chris Hayworth (Stanford), 22-9
Round of 16: Lockett dec. Cassio Pero (Illinois), 7-2
Quarterfinals: Alex Tsirtsis (Iowa), dec. Lockett, 6-5
Wrestleback: Lockett major decisioned Renee Hernandez (Purdue), 9-1
Wrestleback: Lockett dec. Ryan Lang (Northwestern), 9-7 SV OT
Wrestleback: Lockett major dec. Max Meltzer (unattached), 12-4
Third-place match: Lockett won by medical forfeit over Mike Simpson (Indiana)
Total: 6-1 record
Andrew Hipps also accepts feeback at [email protected]
Wrestling Gear
