Keegan O'Toole is one of the best high school wrestlers Wisconsin has ever produced. But this Arrowhead product shows brains have gotten him to the top as much as brawn.
"In five years I hope to be the first four-time champion at Missouri, and then in 10 years I want to have an Olympic gold medal," Keegan O'Toole said.
And who says Keegan O'Toole can't do it. The Arrowhead product just became the 18th high school wrestler in Wisconsin history to win four state titles. The young man is motivated.
"Internally, I would say I want to be the best version of myself that I can be. Whether that's wrestling, or a student, or just a good person in general. There's been a lot of people that I think are much better than me that have come before me, but I definitely want to expect myself to be one of the best in the state to ever come through," O'Toole said. "I'm a huge self critic. I'm going to be harder on myself than anyone else is on me. Confidence is something I think that can be taken as a little too cocky. But I look at confidence as more of a believing in your ability. And you don't have to trash-talk or anything like that to believe in your ability. So I just go out there every match - and self-affirmation is in my head of I'm the best."
But O'Toole is not just all muscle. He powers his way in the classroom, with a 3.5 GPA. It shows on the mat too.
"I think a lot of it is brains because you got to be able to think through positions and understanding what's going to happen and being 10, 15 steps ahead of your opponent."
O'Toole might be the best in a long line of standout Warhawk wrestlers, but he's humble and respectful.
"Looking up, I'm just seeing the people that I've been fortunate enough to meet," O'Toole said.
O'Toole will move on the University of Missouri and hopes that will propel him to representing the U.S. in the Olympics.
