On February 24, senior James ‘Jimmy’ Dees dominated the wrestling mat at 215 lbs. during the state wrestling championship held in Casper, Wyoming. Dees, after tedious rounds on the mat, won first place cementing his legacy to triumphant applause.
Over the course of the season, Dees proved himself as one of Powell High School’s [PHS] best wrestling candidates. Dees knocked his competitors out of the water, scoring 31 winning matches across the season, and only losing one.
“Ever since I was a freshman I’ve wanted to [win state],” Dees said. “It’s cool to make it happen.”
Winning such a huge honor is an accomplishment many students who partake in sports across the school and the country wish to achieve.
“It was something I’ve been looking forward to, or looking forward to try and make happen for a long time,” Dees said. “To finally get to that and getting to the finals and winning is, is huge for me.”
Viewers of the award-winning match would see Dees run up to and hug his coaches in a burst of excitement. A heartfelt moment every wrestler dreams of having.
Moved by the momentous occasion, Dees’ longtime coach, Mr. Nick Fulton, was moved to tears at the sight of his pupil winning such an acclaimed award.
“[Jimmy] is a good leader, and has worked tirelessly along the way,” Mr. Fulton said. “This speaks volumes to his character, and the way that he represents himself at school at all times.”
Dees has proven over the years that he is one of the most capable and fun people to be around. He has always shown great passion and skill towards anything he puts his mind to as many friends can attest to.
“I mean, I’ve been with Jimmy since fourth grade, and I know that I was there when he was like ‘hey, [I want to do] wrestling,’” senior Scout Sullivan said. “It’s really good to see how far he’s come. Jimmy is smart. He’s kind, very kind.”
Dees not only has shown himself as a great wrestler, but an exceptional peer. For the past year, Dees has acted as one of the school’s student body presidents alongside Emma Johnson.
Throughout the course of his school career Dees has taken part in a plethora of extracurriculars, proving his worth as team captain of the PHS Panthers Football team, being a recognized part of the honor roll, and being Associate Editor to the Prowl.
“I’ve been wrestling with [the team] for a while and I’ve had a support system kind of developed, and just, they always kept pushing me to get better in the room,” Dees said. “I learned to love it and found it as my sport.”
Dees has been a part of wrestling in Powell since the seventh grade, growing up with the same fellow athletes throughout the years.
“We spend a lot of time together, you know, conditioning there at practice and going on trips, you would have to try pretty hard not to become close with your teammates.” senior and fellow wrestler Wyatt Heffington said. “You know, I was a little bit jealous, sure. But you know, even though Jimmy’s a bit of a spud, I’m glad they did let him win.”
The love felt toward Dees is not just something felt by those wrestling beside him on the mat, however. All across the school, long time friends have embraced Dees with nothing but the utmost care and admiration, showing their appreciation toward the years spent with someone, who to them, is so special and truly one of a kind.
“I see him going very far,” Sullivan said. “Like I said, he’s smart, he’s kind, and that’ll get you very far. He has big dreams, way bigger than this town and I know he’s gonna go have a grand old time chasing those dreams. I love you Jimmy.”
