Journal-News.com

WEST CHESTER TWP. — No matter what happens during his senior season, Ryan Fields will go down as one of the best wrestlers ever not only in Lakota West history, but in all of Butler County.

Fields already owns three state runner-up finishes and a full-ride scholarship to the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, but he wants more. And he's willing to do less to get it.

"I'm taking the approach of less is more right now," Fields said. "I'm working out less, but I'm getting more out of it. I think I was overworking myself last year."

That realization hit Fields last year in the third period of the Division I

125-pound state championship match, which he went on to lose in overtime, 2-0 against Wadsworth's Brad Squire.

"My conditioning was there, but not my muscle stamina," Fields said. "I just felt weak in that third period, but I think I've fixed that. The real test will be this weekend (at the season-opening Pickerington Duals) to see if everything pays off."

Fields enlisted the help of Scott Goodpaster at Cincinnati Functional Fitness, who completely altered his workout.

"He changed his training up by attacking the muscles he hadn't attacked before and building muscles he hadn't built before in his core," Lakota West coach Scott Fetzer said.

Fields made the 30-mile round trip to Goodpaster's gym three times a week during the summer. He cut back to twice a week once school started, and he knocked to down to Sundays only when wrestling practice began last month.

With a career record of 121-10, Fields ranks fifth in Lakota West history, and Matt McIntire's school record of 163 wins is well within reach. Fields also is just 22 pins shy of McIntire's school-record 84.

But records aren't what he's after. A state title is. It's something he has come agonizingly close to each of the last three years, losing in the championship match to a different wrestler each year.

No wrestler in Ohio history has finished state runner-up four years in a row.

"His goal is the same as it's been the past four years, to win a state championship," Fetzer said. "He doesn't dwell on the defeats as much as you might think he would. I think he realizes the accomplishments that he has already are pretty significant and impressive. He's had seasons most kids can only dream about."

And Fields is working hard — but not too hard — to make sure he has another one in him.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jmorrison@coxohio.com.