CCCC wrestler is national champion

Last year, Zach Ferris was a senior at Chapman High School and finished in 4th place at the 4A State Wrestling Championships.

One year later, Ferris is the undefeated NJCAA National Champion in the 197-pound division.
Wow.
Ferris, a freshman at Cloud County Community College (CCCC), is the wrestling program's first-ever national champion and finished the year with a 21-0 record.
Ferris smiles when asked about his remarkable journey. "I lifted a lot over the summer, and then when I got to Cloud, coach (Cody Cole) had me doing a lot of conditioning and wrestling multiple times a day. It paid off."
To top it all, Ferris achieved his remarkable milestone while maintaining a 4.0 average in academics and making the Dean's List.
"It speaks for his dedication," Coach Cole said. "He's a great kid; we're lucky to have him here. What he achieved in wrestling, and he's also a 4.0 student, says a lot about what he's trying to do here."
Ferris was not even ranked when the wrestling year began. To win the national championship, he had to win twice in overtime matches and upset two top-ranked opponents.
The journey - rising to the challenge and overcoming great odds - is one of the main reasons why Ferris likes wrestling.
"The biggest thing about it (wrestling) is what it teaches you," Ferris said. "At the national tournament I had to dig deep in two overtime matches. Wrestling is a team sport, but at the end of the day wether you succeed or fail is on you, and I like that."
Ferris is already receiving offers from four-year colleges, but he intends to return to Cloud for his sophomore year and wrestle at 197 pounds again. "I'm naturally at this weight. I still have a little bit of fat on me, so I can bulk up. And there's things I can still improve on."
Coach Cole is proud of what Ferris achieved, and what a national champion means to the wrestling program at CCCC. "Zach is from just down the road, in Chapman. Hopefully we can build this program with more kids from the local area. Zach is definitely on the radar now. If he comes back and wins again, that would be significant for the D1 (Division One) schools interested in him."
Ferris's education is as much a part of his future plans as is wrestling. He wants to attend a school where he can get a Bachelor's degree in Construction Management. Ferris intends to open his own construction business, remodeling homes. And because of his experience at CCCC, Ferris wants to become a coach.
"Coach (Cody Cole) has helped me a lot," Ferris said. "He was always motivating me, and always believed in me. I would like to be that kind of coach someday."
Congratulations to Zach Ferris - CCCC's first national champion in wrestling.