Westphal-Edwards is academic all-american

CEDAR RAPIDS - Some athletes are recognized for their prowess in their sport. Some are recognized for their prowess in the classroom. There are an elite few who receive recognition for success in both areas.

Tristin Westphal-Edwards is one of those elite, being named an academic all-american.

The Washington High School graduate is now a wrestler for the Coe College Kohawks, which is a DIII NCAA school.

'I have made the academic list and it feels like a blessing. It is a blessing!” Westphal-Edwards said. 'I have dreamed of what it feels like to receive an academic honor. I have always told myself, ‘It can't be as good as an athletic award.” It turns out it is a just as good, if not a better feeling.”

Westphal-Edwards was joined by three of his teammates in being named Scholar All-Americans by the National Wrestling Coaches Association last week. Junior Brock Henderson, seniors Josh Edel and Taylor Mehmen and Westphal-Edwards all received the honors from the NWCA.

'We do have mandatory study halls and give a great deal of support to our athletes, especially to the younger guys on the team,” Coe head coach John Oostendorp said. 'But in the end it takes the individual to have high standards and a strong work ethic to have the success that Trisitn had this year.”

Nominees must have at least a 3.2 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) for the previous full academic year. Transfers and freshmen are eligible if they've been in residence at their current institution beginning in the fall of 2019.

'I made it my goal to put forth the same effort in my education, I put forth with athletics,” Westphal-Edwards said. 'This was hard to accomplish just because I struggled transitioning and teaching myself how to study, take notes, comprehend information, and ask for help. I knew that I was going to have to do it in order to succeed, so I just did it. It was something that came easy to me after I started looking at it like that.”

To be considered for this award, a wrestler must place in the top six at their respective regional tournament and have a win percentage of .500 or better and compete in half of the institution's scheduled competition in NCAA championship events. A wrestler can also be considered if they have a win percentage of .670 or better and compete in half of the institution's scheduled NCAA events.

Westphal-Edwards finished the year in fifth at the regional tournament at 174 pounds and had a record of 20-5.

'Tristin had an outstanding freshman year for us, both in the classroom and on the mat,” Oostendorp said. 'He excelled in both areas and that is really difficult to do as a freshman in college.”

Westphal-Edwards made an impression on the program and its head coach.

'What really stuck out to me with Trisitin was his high level of maturity and leadership that he showed, even as a freshmen,” Oostendorp said. 'Trisitin has been a joy to have on the team and it will be exciting to watch him continue to develop through his college career.”

That college career has not settled on a specific direction just yet.

'I get asked what I'm majoring in all the time, but I never really know,” Westphal-Edwards said. 'I know I want to help young struggling minds grow like myself. I also want to coach at the high school or college level. Right now I have decided majoring in Secondary Education/Coaching sounds the most intriguing to me.”

That is just one possible direction that he sees as potential.

'I have four dream careers,” Westphal-Edwards said. 'I aspire to have a TV show flipping houses with my wife, have a very big after school organization around the country for struggling youth, be a D1 college coach, wrestle in the Olympics.”

When he was young, his mother, Stacy, always told him to never settle on one dream. He was told he could conquer everything he desired.

'I have these dreams, because I want to do something big!”

Westphal-Edwards knew to build a strong base of knowledge for himself to build on those dreams and aspirations.

'Receiving academic honors as a whole was a goal of mine,” he said. 'In high school, I never cared about the academic side of things, until it mattered. Teachers helped me pass by, but I never allowed myself to learn. This came from me giving minimal effort and caring so much about athletics, forgetting there was an academic side to it all.”

Things changed as he matured into a college student-athlete. He now has a mantra - when you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will succeed.

'I want to succeed that bad that I'm willing to do things that make me uncomfortable.”

Westphal-Edwards has some simple advice for other students.

'You can only have as much as you work for. So if you like money, you will have to work hard. If you want to be the next president, you will have to work hard. Effort is everything, effort gets you through adversity, effort gets you noticed, effort gets you good, effort makes you excel!”

Coe Wrestling is not only a powerhouse wrestling program, it's a powerhouse academic program, it's a powerhouse program all in all.

'Boys turn to men and great men at that,” Westphal-Edwards said. 'We teach each other everyday. Our coaching staff offers us knowledge to win on the mat, in the classroom, and in life. Kohawk Tough is a real thing and we live by it!”

A humble man, Westphal-Edwards never forgets his roots and those who have followed his career,

‘I want to thank everybody who has supported me, gave me their time, or doubted me. I am thankful for it all and motivated to win titles and do great things in life through the support given. Stay tuned for what's to come and God bless you all through this rough world-wide time.”