Zemen Sium makes history as the first Washington Latin wrestler to win a DC state championship
“This is a big deal,” said coach Rickey Torrence, who has been at the helm of the wrestling program for eight years. “Washington Latin has never placed anybody in the top three before.”
Zemen finished the season with an undefeated record and he wasn’t even taken down until the state finals. Despite an early deficit in the final match, Zemen rallied back and pinned his opponent.
“Even though I was losing, I just kept my faith in myself,” said Zemen.
The heart he showed in that match impressed his coaches and even earned him the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
Zemen, who has been wrestling for only three years, has been able to succeed by maintaining a singular focus on the sport. “He shows up every day ready to work hard and he is always learning,” said Coach Torrence.
Even as high school sports across the country suffered during the pandemic, Zemen retained his commitment to wrestling by attending Zoom calls every week organized by Wrestling to Beat the Streets DC. And Zemen did not miss a single call.
“I love how those Zoom calls kept me motivated,” said Zemen. “They kind of kept things running and kept the community together.”
“Zemen was such an active and engaging participant,” said Coach Torrence. “He was like a deep well of positivity, that people could draw from to get that little bit extra motivation and inspiration.”
Zemen credits Beat the Streets with providing him the opportunities to train and compete. “I really appreciate what they’ve done for our program,” said Zemen. “Without Beat the Streets I wouldn't even be where I'm at right now.”
“Whenever we need something,” said Coach Torrence, “they connect us with people and the resources to do what we need.”
Zemen’s determination and success serve as an outstanding model for young DC-area athletes and we expect many more to follow his path.
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Wrestling to Beat the Streets DC is a nonprofit organization that partners with local schools in the Nation’s capital to develop young athletes through mentoring and the sport of wrestling. Wrestling to Beat the Streets DC worked with the DC public schools to bring the sport of wrestling back after an absence of 30 years.
We have recently launched the 2022 Believe Campaign with the goal of raising $200,000 to give these programs everything they need to empower the next generation of D.C. youth. For just $25,000 per school, we will provide the necessary start-up equipment including wrestling mats, uniforms, headgear, and shoes. Please consider contributing by visiting this link and sharing it with your networks.