Hank Lee is a senior wrestler for Eastside High School. Lee has had an incredible final year for the Eagles, going unbeaten in the state and recently capturing the Class 5-A Individual Upper State Championship at 175 lbs.
During the Upper State Championship run, Lee didn’t allow a single point to be earned against him in any of his four matches.
“He’s just a quietly confident kid,” said Eastside wrestling coach Jack Kosmicki. “He’s such a hard worker. By the end of every practice, his shirt is soaked in sweat. Hank is one of the hardest-working, most consistent wrestlers we’ve had in this program.”
Ahead of the upcoming Class 5-A Individual State Championships, GreerNews.com caught up with the senior Lee to talk about his career, his final goals as an Eagle, and his plans after graduation.
GreerNews.com (GN): Hank, you’ve come into this year and dominated throughout. Have you accomplished the things you set out to do at the beginning of the season? What goals do you still have left?
Hank Lee (HL): I think the biggest thing is to finally be a state champion. I’ve tried to make my own philosophy with it, because in years past, I’ve worried about it too much. So this year, I stopped looking at everyone else, stopped looking at rankings, and all that. I’m going to miss this when it’s gone, so all I’m focusing on now is wrestling hard and kicking butt.
GN: What do you think it will take this year to finally get that state championship?
HL: It’s a lot of factors. It’s doing everything right: eating right, sleeping right, making sure my mind’s right. Mindset is a lot of it, you know? If you see yourself winning state over and over again in your mind, those feelings are going to be there for you, and you’ll just be ready to go out and do it when it’s time.
GN: What’s next for you after graduation? Have you made post-graduation plans?
HL: One of my teammates and I are actually going to Greenville Tech. I’m trying to be an electrician. There’s a ton of money in that, and I’m trying to chase it.
GN: What aspects of Eastside wrestling are you going to miss the most when it’s time to say goodbye?
HL: All the little things. What we do is hard, and not everyone likes to do it all the time. But I’ll miss all the good conversations, those laughs on the bus, all the memories shared before practices and matches. People don’t realize how much they look over all of that stuff until it’s gone.
GN: Every time the team finishes practice, you and a lot of other wrestlers are drenched and sweat and exhausted. Obviously, conditioning is a huge part of wrestling, but just how much of an emphasis does Coach Kosmicki place on that for you guys?
HL: Coach Koz and I actually had a conversation earlier this season. I’m a senior, and I'm finally starting to understand the philosophy of conditioning. You obviously get physically conditioned when we do all of this in practice. It makes you stronger and better. But in reality, all of that conditioning is even more important for the mental aspect of wrestling. It’s training your mind to keep going, never stop, never quit.
GN: People see you on the mat and are in awe of what you’re capable of, but to anyone who doesn’t know Hank past his ability as a wrestler, how would you describe yourself to them?
HL: I’m just someone who loves hanging around with friends and loves having a good time. I love to laugh and enjoy life. I also love playing lacrosse, and that’s something that keeps me going in the spring.
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