The Disciple of the Mat: The Josh Twiss Story

Josh Twiss. Photos by Jin Yup Jung '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

        The Disciple of the Mat: The Josh Twiss Story 

By Jin Yup Jung'14

A junior brings experience to the wrestling team.  

Josh Twiss, a new captain, works out hard and pumps wrestlers up everyday.  Twiss wrestled when he was about 8-10 years old in AAU and placed 2nd in his district. He started wrestling again during his freshman year at Red Cloud. Twiss’ father, uncles, and three elder brothers before him wrestled for Red Cloud when they were in school. The main reasons he wrestled were that he was fascinated by his brothers' tosses and wins since he was younger and and all of his father’s wrestling experiences.

“The first match I won in my high school career was like this wave of happiness and joy,” Twiss said. “After I won, I just looked at my father and we smiled at each other with the biggest grins.” Since Twiss knew the greatest feeling when his hand was raised by a referee after he won a match, he has pushed as hard as he could for another win. “With my current and recent medical condition, I try to put on as much layers of clothes as I can,” Twiss said. “Then go through my moves slowly at first to work out all the kinks then at full speed as if I’m in a match, but it’s going to be hard to cut ten pounds before the first meet.”

Also, he is already excited to see how the wrestling team will do well this year. “I believe we have a good team this year. I see a lot of hard workers and quick learners,” Twiss said. “Some new students that can do really great this year, not to mention the veterans that are returning. Miranda O’Donnell is looking great. She has the will and determination to be the best she can be while still learning more and more techniques.”

Twiss wants to be a great captain who can help his wrestling members as much as he can. “In anyway I can, if that means pushing them on the mat, then so be it. They may not like it but nobody likes to lose either. Everything that I will do will benefit them as a team and as individuals as well,” Twiss said.

His goal is to make state. The goal he is really trying to achieve is to lead and improve his family of wrestlers. “To make them better and better, every time they walk on to that mat,” Twiss said.

The wrestling team traveled to Custer this morning for their first match of the year.