LJ wrestling: Austin in a zone

Elliot Austin, at 128 pounds, dominated his

opponents at the City Conference Championships

last month. The Viking wrestler, whose lightning speed

on the mat surprises opponents, looks to do

even better next year. (Photo by Ed Piper, Jr.)



By Ed Piper, Jr.

"When I go into a match, that's all there is," says Elliot Austin, La Jolla 128-pounder, who dominated his weight class at the City Conference Wrestling Championships a month ago.

The junior placed 11th in the CIF Masters meet at the end of the season, but he's looking higher next year.

He agrees his karate background helps his quickness, and in other facets of his work on the mat.

Austin, as he progresses, seems to be better able to identify where he can improve specific skills as he increases the level of his technique.

"When (Coach) Kellen (Delaney) wrestles me, he picks out every little thing I do for me to work on," says the wrestler, in the British accent from back home he has intentionally maintained after he moved with his family here.

He also notes, "Ever since I started wrestling, I have continued getting better and better."

Having had some time after the season to ponder his progress thus far, his confidence and commitment seem to be brimming.

He finished among the top five in his weight at the Holtville Invitational at the end of January. He then won his weight division in the Western League.

"Next year, I'm going for top five at the Masters," he says, speaking of the CIF San Diego Section finals.

He acknowledges one part of the mental game he is working on: When he faces an opponent seeded higher than him, he lets it get in his head and hinder his ferocious attack. His confidence struggles.

This happened at the Holtville meet. Delaney detected it. "Kellen knows when it affects me," Austin says. "He can tell when I'm not wrestling the same way."

His family hosted the Viking team end-of-year dinner earlier in the month.