Grand Meadow sophomore Wyatt Richardson recently won the U.S. Open Greco Roman Junior Division national tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. Photo Provided

GRAND MEADOW — Grand Meadow’s Wyatt Richardson is having a great sophomore year.

Earlier this year he played in the Metrodome with the Grand Meadow football team in the Class nine man state title game, and he recently won the U.S. Open Greco Roman Junior Division national tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.

“The Metrodome was louder, but winning in Las Vegas was more exciting,” Wyatt said. “In wrestling, you’re by yourself and if you mess up, it’s on you.”

Wyatt won all four of his matches against wrestlers from all over the country in the 182-pound division without allowing a point and he qualified for the ASICS Nationals in Fargo N.D. July 15-23.

The win meant a lot to Wyatt as his dad, Jim Richardson has also won in Las Vagas in his wrestling career. Jim was coaching Wyatt and a few other area wrestlers at the meet.

“My dad won there and it was kind of nice to win in the same place where he won,” Wyatt said. “Being on the big stage was mind blowing. It made everything look bigger, but I just tried to stay relaxed.”

Wyatt also placed fifth in the freestyle division of the U.S. Open as he went up against a senior who will wrestle at the University of Wisconsin and a senior who will wrestle at the University of Oregon.

Jim, who is a coach for Team USA Minnesota, brought Wyatt along to the U.S. Open with some of his other wrestlers to give Wyatt some experience.

He wasn’t expecting his son to do quite so well.

“I had to coach a few different guys, so I figured I might as well bring Wyatt with and get him some experience. I was pretty surprised when he won,” Jim said. “Now he’s finally on my team and he makes me pretty proud. But he’s doing it on his own and there’s no politics that got him here. He’s put in a lot of work.”

Wyatt’s ultimate goal is to be a national champ and he will be trying out for a FILA World Cup Cadets team this summer.

Wyatt, who is playing on the GMLOK baseball team this spring, will also have his mind on football this summer as the Superlarks will be hungry after taking second place in state this past season.

While some athletes focus on one sport, Wyatt enjoys being a three-sport athlete.

“You meet a lot more people if you do more than one sport,” he said. “Every sport has a different pace and it feels nice to change it up sometimes.”

Wrestling for a bulk of the summer certainly won’t hurt Wyatt on the football field.

“Wrestlers make great linemen and the work he puts in towards wrestling definitely helps out the football team in the fall,” Jim said.

The ASICS National tournament is considered one of the biggest ones in the world and Wyatt took eighth as a Cadet there last summer.