DANVERS — Rawson Iwanicki is one of New England’s most dominant wrestlers, with an incredible 190-5 record in his four years at St. John’s Prep. Iwanicki has committed to wrestle next year at Columbia University. With an elite mindset and a winning percentage over 97 percent, it was a loss at Nationals that changed Iwanicki’s mindset.
“I think there’s a line between shooting for your goals and comparing yourself,” Iwanicki said. “My goal the past four years was to become a national champion. This year I worked really hard, but I ended up coming short and taking third place.”
Iwanicki said his main goal was to be a national champion like one of his coaches, but believes coming up short has actually helped his mindset for the better.
“I always wanted that title like my coach Matt Smith has,” Iwanicki said. “There is pressure when you compare yourself but talking to my friends and coaches after that loss, I realized I probably got more out of falling short than I would have by winning it.”
Before the loss, Iwanicki said he would wrestle the same way no matter who lined up across from him.
“My goal was to wrestle every single person the same exact way. No matter the experience, I would wrestle that person the same way,” Iwanicki said.
After the loss, his mindset shifted to focusing on himself.
“The loss taught me that when you overthink things when you have a goal in your mind, sometimes when your first action or move in a match doesn’t work you kind of start to panic,” Iwanicki said. “I realized I need to remove myself from the actual situation I’m in and focus on what I need to do to be the best version of myself.”
To say Iwanicki has had a great career would be an understatement. To win 190 matches in high school is no easy feat, and Iwanicki draws his motivation from those around him.
“I have a lot of peers and people I look up to in my life that have been successful in wrestling like: Matt Smith, Cam Altobelli, and Colin Sevigney,” Iwanicki said. “They all have been historically successful wrestlers. Making the connection with them showed me how much respect and dedication you get for chasing state titles or a national title.”
Iwanicki also gets motivation from the “pure competitiveness” of wrestling.
“There’s a certain feeling you have when you walk into practice or when you’re at a tournament that you almost want to prove yourself or show that you’ve been putting the most work in,” Iwanicki said.
Despite being a dominant wrestler now, Iwanicki said when he first started wrestling in the third grade, it “didn’t come natural” to him.
“It was really difficult for me. I was not naturally talented off the bat. I was scared of getting hurt and scared to wrestle,” Iwanicki said.
Fast forward to when Iwanicki was in sixth grade, when his love for the sport began.
“I started to fall in love with wrestling during club wrestling at Mercury Rising Wrestling Club,” Iwanicki said. “That’s when I started to learn more about competitive and national wrestling. That’s when I started to really dial in and perfect my craft.”
Iwanicki’s craft has well and truly been perfected, since he in a few months will be a Division I wrestler. When asked what he’s looking forward to competing at the next level, Iwanicki pointed to the “reset.”
“I look forward to being the underdog next year. I’m going to be going in the room with a lot of nationally-ranked kids who want to start. My next challenge is to break into that lineup,” Iwanicki said. “The best wrestlers are from the Midwest or the South so they probably don’t expect much from a New England guy, so I’m looking forward to that challenge.”
