As if Lautt didn’t have enough incentive going into the season with the wave of fans in disbelief of his All-American status, he’s entering his final season in one of the most top-heavy divisions in the country at 174 pounds. The returns of Carter Starocci, Mekhi Lewis, Mikey Labriola and others have Lautt burning the midnight oil for a run at National Champion.
He’s come a long way, but there’s still a steep hike ahead to sit on the throne.
“It’s motivating and gives me something to train for every day,” Lautt said. “When I came into college I was getting beat in the room by a lot of dudes, and now I’m in a position where I rarely lose in the room. I’ve lost to these guys who are the top in the country just by a little bit, so it’s a signal to me that I need to do a little bit more, I need to learn a little bit more, find new ways to score and get a little bit more creative and add a couple more tools to the toolkit.”
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He’s the son of a fighter, an All-American and one of the scrappiest wrestlers in the game. He’s not going to put the names ahead of him on a pedestal. He faces all of the top names early and often in the season and he’ll use every trip to the mat as more than just a match; it’s a chance to absorb information and remind everybody on the podium who he is.
“I’ve made pretty significant jumps every single year,” Lautt said. “I think I’ve got one more significant jump to make. I’ll face number one and number two multiple times this year, so I’ll be able to see where I’m at before the National Tournament and it’s all on the line. I’ve been right there but I’ve got one more jump to make.”
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