He just couldn’t figure it out. 157-pounder Colton Palmer, a redshirt junior, set records in high school for most wins at 284-6 overall in four years and 91-0 senior season – both were national records. But during his first two years at N.C. State, Palmer had only compiled a record of 12-19.
But this year Palmer has found what it takes to become one of the best wrestlers for the Wolfpack, if not one of the best in the ACC.
Not only has he surpassed his overall record of 12 wins, but Palmer has more than doubled his overall wins and is the team leader in wins this season with a record of 26-10. Palmer said this season has helped him regain his love for the sport.
“This season has definitely meant a lot to me,” Palmer said. “It has been a huge turnaround for me both mentally and physically. I felt like I had kind of fallen off and lost my love for the sport. It was becoming more like a job for me.”
While Palmer may have one of his best seasons at State this year, he knows his success cannot be attributed only to himself. Since the arrival of assistant coach Lee Pritts this season, Palmer said he has rediscovered the fire he had in high school.
“Coach Pritts coming in turned me back on the right path,” Palmer said. “He saw that I had the potential and that I was capable of being a good wrestler at this level. He put the killer instinct back in me and helped me regain my love for the sport.”
Before this season, Palmer had not lived up to lofty expectations. Not just expectations put on by himself, but also from his brothers.
Palmer is the youngest of his brothers and the third Palmer brother to wrestle in the NCAA. Palmer’s brothers, Austen and Brandon, competed at Iowa State and William Penn, respectively. Austen was a two-time NCAA qualifier, which Palmer said only makes him want to win more.
“I got sucked in at first to wrestling because of my brothers,” Palmer said. “Since I was the youngest brother, everyone had huge expectations of ‘Little Palmer.’ I knew I couldn’t let them down and now with this season I think I can finally catch up to my brothers at the collegiate ranks.”
Early in the season, the Pack was missing former national champion and No. 1 overall 149-pound redshirt senior Darrion Caldwell. In Caldwell’s absence, Palmer and 141-pound redshirt junior Darrius Little filled the void in a big way.
In high school, Little and Palmer were in the same weight class and actually met each other head-to-head.
“I’ve known [Palmer] for a long time,” Little said. “We were in the same weight class in high school and wrestled each other. He is a great teammate and I’m happy to be with him rather than against him.”
Now that Caldwell has returned to the team, Palmer is still viewed as a veteran. He said having that time to be the star on the team really contributed to becoming a leader.
“I definitely believe that I have finally made the transition to a leader,” Palmer said. “The Southern Scuffle was a big moment for me as a leader. After some of the younger guys saw me battle through a lot of tough matches, I feel like I earned their respect.”
Palmer finished fifth at the Southern Scuffle, which was the highest finish for any Pack wrestler. Palmer finished with a 5-2 record in the tournament.
Coach Carter Jordan said he has been waiting to see Palmer compete like this for the last two years. With the success he has had so far, Palmer should be able to compete for a conference championship, according to Jordan.
“We have been waiting to see the real Colton Palmer and I have been really pleased with his performance all year,” Jordan said. “We expect great things from him this year, and we expect a lot from him in March in the ACC Tournament.”
While Palmer may be having great individual success this season, he said when he hits the mat, he competes for much more than just himself.
“When I wrestle, it’s not just about me,” Palmer said. “It’s for my family and my teammates. I wrestle for my mom, my dad, grandparents and everyone that has supported me.”
