Pierce County senior wrestler Carter Malone won only one match his freshman year. But after years of working hard and preparing himself, he is ranked among the top in the state.
“It shows you his commitment in the wrestling room both in and out of season training,” said Pierce County wrestling coach Brandon Jernigan. “I’m proud to say that Carter Malone is a captain on our wrestling team.”
He’s a two-time area champion and has been named Wrestler of the Week on several occasions. Malone has qualified for this year’s Class AAA sectionals by placing first in the 170-pound weight class at the Area Traditional tournament.
“Before the match, I like to try to clear my head and focus on only the match, and I try to think through all the moves I am planning,” Malone said. “I see myself winning the match.”
His confidence is a far cry from his first match against Ware Middle in seventh grade, and farther still from that dismal freshman season. Malone’s turning point came his sophomore year, when a veteran wrestler with a 20-pound advantage worked him into submission.
“There was only 24 feet of mat in that room, and with 30-plus wrestlers, there was not a lot of room to run from your partner,” Coach Jernigan said.
Malone never quit, however, and he is now one of the top wrestlers to come through the program. He spends countless hours training both on and off the mat. He puts in extra time with personal trainers and other wrestlers to keep improving. In addition to being a leader on the Bears’ wrestling team, Malone is also a defensive lineman for Sean Pender’s football team.
Malone is more than just an outstanding athlete. He holds a perfect 4.0 grade point average and has made all A’s through 
high school while taking Honors classes. He is a member of the Math Team and the Beta Club. Malone is also an Eagle Scout and a scuba diver who volunteers with the Ware County EMA underwater recovery team. He has also earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and is an active member of his church.
“I’d say he brings a lot of character and morals to our team,” Coach Jernigan said. “Confidence is something else I think he adds to our team.” Malone has a “can’t lose” attitude and goes into each match believing he will win, a belief instilled in him by his father, Kirby Malone. His unbelievable drive was displayed during a match in Tennessee this season, when his forearms locked in cramps. Despite not being able to use his arms to control opponents and perform other techniques, he insisted on wrestling. He won his match 11-3 and sealed the team’s victory.
His favorite part of wrestling is that it is both an individual and team sport.
“How it is one on one, and all the focus is on you, yet at the same time, you are still part of the team,” Malone said. “The evidence of your preparation is on display for everyone to see.”
Malone started playing football in sixth grade but said he never really connected with the sport the way some players do. That is when a friend got him to consider wrestling in seventh grade. “I tried it and I decided that I would do my best to make wrestling my main sport,” he said. In the five years he has wrestled, he has increased his mental focus and drive to succeed. He started attending wrestling camps his sophomore and junior years and noticed a marked improvement in his technique. Now, his work ethic and strength development have become top priorities for him.
“I do not want to be beat, but I refuse to be beat because someone has worked harder than me,” he said.
He always preferred to work against stronger opponents, going on the theory that “steel sharpens steel,” and to get better he would go against those who were better than he was.
If all goes well, Malone wants to major in medicine and become a doctor one day. However, the rest of his plan is a little more difficult.
“To make it out of college debt free,” he said.
SE-MI-0215-Malone
Most Improved February 2015
Carter Malone
Pierce County wrestling
By Rob Asbell
Grappling His Way to the Top
