Since T.J. Shelton was 8 years old, wrestling has been an integral part of his life. Competing in the sport has paid dividends for the Meeker High School student as he won back-to-back Class 2A state championships at 160 and 170 pounds.
“I had a lot of experience nationally wrestling all over the country and that mat time really boosted me when I got to high school,” the 5-foot-10 Shelton said. “It was very emotional and exciting for me to win state twice. All my hard work paid off each of those years, and that was the greatest feeling in the world.”
Meeker’s T.J. Shelton.
Now, a junior Shelton has his eyes on another gold medal.
“I need to keep my nose down and keep working hard,” Shelton, 16, said. “I’m going to do what I can. Some people have a target on my back, but I respect all my opponents and I’m just going to go out there and wrestle.”
This season, Shelton has an 8-1 record and he’s ranked No. 1 by On the Mat at 182 pounds in Class 2A.
Shelton’s next big test will come Friday and Saturday at the ultra-competitive Warrior Classic in Grand Junction at 170 pounds.
“I haven’t quite decided if I will wrestle at 182 or 170 pounds this season,” Shelton said. “A lot of the tournaments I will be at 170s, but I’m just going to play things by ear. My goals this season is to do win the Warrior and win a state title.”
J.C. Watt, Meeker’s coach, praised Shelton.
“He’s a hard worker, and he has a lot of wrestling experience,” said Watt, a former two-time state wrestling champ at Meeker. “T.J. won the middle school state wrestling tournament and he just never stops working. He’s always lifting and he’s always keeping his body in good shape. I was surprised a little bit that he won state as a freshman at a heavier weight (160 pounds), but he’s just a really good competitor. He seems to always rise to the occasion, and he’s a great teammate.”
As good as Shelton is in wrestling, he’s far from one-dimensional. As a freshman, Shelton won the 100-meter dash in state track and was second in the 200. Last year, Shelton was a state runner-up in the 100 and 200 events.
Oh by the way, Shelton also is a standout running back and middle linebacker on the Cowboys football team.
“I enjoy track because it works different muscles and I also really like playing football,” said Shelton, who also spends his spare time hunting. “I’m not sure what my favorite sport is between wrestling and football. I do love living in a small town. This is a great community.”
Shelton’s work ethic also shines through in the classroom as he is a 4.0 student.
“I have received just one B so far in high school and I’m a math and science guy,” Shelton said. “I really like all types of statistics.”