Robles is wrestler of year

Tim Tyers
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 3, 2006 11:52 PM

Arizona High School wrestler of the year

Anthony Robles
School: Mesa High.
Class: Senior.
Weight: 112.
Record: 48-0.

Season review: When you talk about courage and overcoming adversity, Anthony Robles is your guy. man. Born without a right leg, Anthony Robles also played football at Mesa Junior High before dropping the sport to concentrate on wrestling. As a junior, he was 48-0, won the state championship at 103 pounds and was voted Outstanding Wrestler in Class 5A at the state tournament. He followed it up this year with another 48-0 season and again being named the Outstanding Wrestler in Class 5A Division I at the state meet, while winning the state title at 1124 pounds. He led Mesa High to its second state wrestling title, as the team captured the first state dual team championship. Drexel University, Wabash College, Western States College and William Penn of Iowa are recruiting him for wrestling. He will either major in either business or physical therapy in college.

Robles' comment: "My goals were to win the state championship and Outstanding Wrestler again, and I did it, so I was pleased with my year. I still have one more goal, and that's to win at nationals. This is an honor. I'm just fortunate that God surrounded me with good coaches and great teammates who worked with me and helped me improve."

Coach's comment: "Anthony is the most inspiring athlete who I have ever coached, and that goes both on and off the mat. He is absolutely deserving of this honor. It was a huge distance that he traveled in a short time, from where he started as an athlete to where he finished. He has grown into it, going from being a shy kid to somebody who really opened himself up as a senior." - coach Bob Williams, Mesa High.