For three years, Ohio redshirt junior Harrison Hightower has found countless ways to get the attention of his teammates and coaches. He’s never won a tournament, never led Ohio in wins, and until this time three weeks ago, had never earned a national tournament berth. Yet, Hightower has made a clear niche as one of the Bobcats’ most well-respected wrestlers.
And this weekend, the entire country could see why.
Hightower is one of six Bobcats making his way to Oklahoma City this weekend to compete in the NCAA Tournament. The 165-pounder will wrestle his first match against Dylan Palacio of No. 14-seeded Cornell.
“Obviously, it felt good for myself, finally making that ticket to the national tournament a reality,” Hightower said. “But the biggest thing for me was doing it for my parents because of the commitment they have to wrestling. They come to every event, even if it means traveling 12 hours. Even though it is three years into my career, it’s still a great feeling to get that monkey off my back.”
Hightower began his collegiate career at Virginia Tech but transferred to Ohio after his freshman season. He comes from a large family of Bobcats, with his father, mother and brother all being alumni.
Hightower, who hails from Strongsville, Ohio, admitted that he never really gave Ohio University a close look when searching for colleges during his senior year of high school. But since transferring to OU, he said he has come to enjoy the place.
“He had such an incredible high school career, but when he got to college, he ended up having to change some things, and I think that hurt his confidence,” Ohio coach Joel Greenlee said. “But ever since he came here, little by little he’s gotten more and more confident. He’s had a great season this year from day one.”
Hightower’s placement in the national tournament is something that many familiar with the team felt was overdue, after bad luck with Mid-American Conference Tournament draws the past two seasons have kept him from earning a national tournament berth. This season, Hightower claimed second place in the MAC Tournament after winning his first two matches via a major decision and a fall.
The fall that clinched his national tournament spot was arguably the most emotional moment of the entire weekend for the Bobcats — one that teammate and drill partner Spartak Chino said he has been looking forward to for a long time.
“He deserved it more than anyone,” said Chino, a redshirt sophomore. “Seeing him pin that kid in the semifinals, I just knew that all the tears, all the hard work, all the extra training sessions he’s put in finally paid off. To see your best friend succeed like that, there’s no feeling like it.”
This season has been the best of Hightower’s career, as he’s easily set a personal-high in wins with a 31-11 record. The number that stands out the most from this season, however, is his pins count. He’s accumulated 16 of them, which ranks him third among all Division I wrestlers.
The falls can be at least partially attributed to his unconventional wrestling style, which he was forced to adopt because of a rare medical condition called Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, which causes deterioration in the hip bone. Despite multiple correctional surgeries, the disease has left his right leg shorter than his left.
Decreased leg power causes Hightower to incorporate his upper body strength into his wrestling technique more often than most — something that many of his opponents aren’t used to.
Whether you’re a diehard fan or casual bystander, there is no arguing the fact that Hightower is exciting to watch. His relentless approach toward his matches has done more than enough for him all season long, and it continues to earn him attention from opposing coaches and wrestlers.
This weekend it just might be enough to make him an All-American.
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