Gabe Arnold’s move to Iowa City has been seamless on and off the mat

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Arnold household uprooted their lives shifting from Georgia to Iowa this summer season.

“We moved every little thing right here, our entire household. My mother, my dad, myself, my canine and my 5 snakes,” mentioned Metropolis Excessive senior Gabe Arnold.

Shiesty, Slinky, King Tut, Covid and Hawkeye, the names of Arnold’s 5 snakes, made certain they got here alongside for the journey. After spending three years attending Wyoming Seminary, a prep college in Pennsylvania, Arnold determined to spend his senior season wrestling for Metropolis Excessive.

“Some individuals their norm is being in a dorm and having the ability to go down the road and go to highschool. Go to wrestling apply that’s only a stroll away,” he defined. “For me, I wished that precise sense of normalcy. To really feel like I used to be really in highschool. I’ve senior associates, I get grounded once more.”

Though the two-time nationwide prep champion had already dedicated to wrestle for the College of Iowa, it took loads of convincing from his teammate Ben Kueter to get him to maneuver to the Hawkeye State a 12 months early.

“I used to be up right here for a twin really. Ben was like it is best to come have a look at Metropolis Excessive, only for jokes, you already know. I’m like certain, you already know, why not? No approach I’m going to return right here,” Arnold defined. “I got here right here and acquired to speak to Coach [Cory] Connell and I used to be like ‘oh, this place is very nice.’ I noticed the wrestling room and I’m like nonetheless to Ben, ‘there’s nonetheless no approach I’m coming right here,’” he added.

Months later, Arnold was in and his transition has been seamless.

“He’s match proper in. The youngsters have completely cherished him. He’s been one among our greatest leaders proper off the bat. He hasn’t been shy going into the wrestling room,” Metropolis Excessive wrestling head coach Cory Connell mentioned.

He went by a bumpy junior 12 months after the departure of his head coach and having surgical procedure on his meniscus.

“I wasn’t having enjoyable anymore and I used to be attending to the purpose the place I used to be borderline burnt out. I didn’t love wrestling loads. I used to be having to chop loads of weight to get down and it was simply not a enjoyable time,” Arnold mentioned.

Now, the 182 pound wrestler is having enjoyable once more and it reveals. Arnold ranks third nationally at his weight class.

“I’m loads happier right here. I’m loads freer. My physique feels nice, my thoughts feels nice, my bodily simply – every little thing is simply nothing in need of superb,” Arnold added.

“He desires to get higher each single day. He desires to seek out issues he can get higher at whether or not it’s on his ft, on high, on backside, mentally. He’s all the time on the lookout for methods to get higher and develop as a wrestler and as an individual and that’s refreshing,” Connell mentioned.

His new house has helped alter his mindset in reaching his targets throughout the sport.

“Sure, the aim is to be an Olympic champ. Sure, the aim is to be a 4-time NCAA champ. Sure, the aim is to be a world champ, however I have to take these small steps ahead earlier than I may even fear about that,” Arnold mentioned.

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