While the exact origin of the quote "it is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog" is up for debate, it can be applicable to members of the High Point University Club grappling team. 

The debate over the origin of the quote ranges from authors Arthur G. Lewis or Mark Twain or even the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. However, after a strong performance at the recent National Collegiate Grappling Association (NCGA) Championships held in Shreveport, La., last weekend left no debate on how much progress the Panthers' grappling team made under the direction of coaches Kelly Anundson, Wendy Anundson and David Pearson in the first year of the program. 

"I am so proud how these men and women have performed," said Kelly Anundson. "Being the first year of the program and how many All-American performers we have in the top three in the country. It is a testament to their hard work and dedication to the program."

The Panthers wrapped up their first NCGA Championship with four All-American honorees—Wyatt Tank, Noah Richardson, Danica Zenhye and Jase Gartrell. High Point also saw Rodin Azizi become the team's first-ever NCGA Division II National Champion in program history. 

Overall, High Point finished eighth in the Top 10 among teams, just 20 points off the pace established by Auburn, who closed with 80 points. The top team at the event was Sacramento State, which closed with 226 points, followed by Cal State Northridge (188) and Texas A&M (179), which finished second and third, respectively. 

Furthermore, High Point was sixth among NCGA Qualifiers by team with 12. The top team, Cal State Northridge, had 26, while Sam Houston State (25), Auburn and Sacramento State (15) rounded out the Top 3.

"We are going to just keep the momentum going," added Coach Anundson. "We must keep getting better and fill in weight classes that we don't have competitors in. Improvement is the mindset for next year." 

Azizi etched his name into High Point University Club grappling history with a pair of wins against Sam Houston State's Tanner Raverty in the 285-pound weight class clash. The only two competing in the event, Azizi claimed a 6-1 victory in their first meeting before triumphing 10-1 in the second match between the pair. 

"It feels amazing, and I still can't believe it," said Azizi. "I owe everything to my coaches; without them, I wouldn't have been able to do this. Now we just have to keep going and make this something we can achieve every year. My coaches have helped me with everything, especially my grappling. They've pushed me every time and taught me the techniques I needed to win."

Tank maneuvered through the men's 220-pound bracket and placed second overall for the Panthers. He claimed a 10-3 win in the opening round over Gabriel Reyes (Cal State Northridge) and added his second victory in 14-3 fashion over Auburn's Colburn Reeves in round two. In his final match of the event, which came against Ivan Reyes (Cal State Northridge), Tank fell by a score of 49-1. 

"It feels incredible to earn an All-American honor, especially knowing how we've all trained this semester," said Tank. "Being able to represent High Point on a national stage means a lot to me and is certainly something I'll never forget. Personally, I'm proud of myself, but view this more as just the beginning for me. It tells me that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be and motivates me to work even harder for the team and for myself. It's proof that grit and consistency beat experience. Earning an All-American honor as a newer competitor to the sport really shows how much my coaches and teammates work to push me to be a better athlete.

"Since I started the sport with no prior wrestling experience, I've had to work hard to build my own foundation," Tank added. "I've had to figure out how to turn my raw strength into actual Jiu-Jitsu. All the credit goes to my coaches, Kelly, Wendy and David. They make sure I have a clear understanding of how to properly do every move that we drill in practice. They are also always there for me when I want to get extra work outside of gym hours, and it's on their own time. A lot of my success has come from live rolling against bigger guys at the gym, as this especially helped my mindset to get into this tournament underweight. Competing is a skill within itself that takes lots of time to master, but my coaches have worked hard to prepare me for this. It's not just a technique that needs constant practice, but also how to manage energy and dominate positions." 

One of four participants in the men's 285-pound bracket, Richardson quickly claimed a 39-2 win over Ross Davis (Sam Houston State) in the first round of the competition. Meanwhile, Cal State Northridge's Joshua Hoyo took care of Elijah Loop (Sam Houston State) by a 43-2 margin in another clash. With the stage set for a clash between Richardson and Hoyo, the Cal State Northridge representative, Hoyo, posted a 50-1 victory over Richardson in the Finals. 

Like his teammate Richardson, Gartrell also had four participants in the men's 128-pound bracket. The first round pitted Gartrell against Daniel Rodriguez (Cal State Northridge) with the Panther's Gartrell falling by an 18-1 margin. Gartrell then faced off against Rodriguez's Matador teammate, Henry Grigorian, in the Bronze Match after Grigorian's 16-1 triumph over Jackson Blankenship (Alabama) in the opening round. Gartrell delivered the 14-1 victory for the Panthers by defeating Grigorian. 

Zenhye, who stands at 4 feet, 11 inches, epitomizes the aforementioned quote "it is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." For Zenhye she says "I don't personally think that people look at me and think I will be 'quick work' because of my size. When we compete, we compete in weight classes, so my competitors are somewhat my size.

"It really all comes down to how you prepare and perform on the mats during the match," continued Zenhye. "Size never fully matters when it comes to grappling and wrestling. 

That aligns with Tank's concept of the grappling team as well. He says "if we had a team credo; it would be that iron sharpens iron. Hard work is not negotiable for us. Everyone shows up, pushes each other and leaves their ego at the gym entrance."

Unwilling to shy away from the hard work, Kelly Anundson says that "this is just the beginning of something big for High Point University. We have the opportunity to be one of the best programs in the country. We must work like we have something to prove. Keep building and believe in ourselves." 

Zenhye entered the NCGA Championship fresh off earning a first-place finish at the James Madison Wrestling Tournament on November 8th. In Shreveport, La., the Charleston, S.C., native battled through the women's 115-pound division to earn second place. 

Zenhye captured her first win of the event by a 3-1 margin against Maia Dua (Sacramento State), before taking down Mallory Andrade (Sam Houston State) by a 7-1 margin in the second round. Her third opponent of the afternoon, Sacramento State's Tatyana Amarante, took home the first-place victory by a 41-1 margin. 

Zenhye has always faced the obstacle of her size in a sport dominated by a taller opponent. However, that has not deterred her on the mat, instead she uses it as a motivational tactic.

"I have been practicing and preparing for years of my life with multiple different coaches," said Zenhye. "The biggest thing I take away from my coaches is their support in me and that is one of the biggest factors that matter to me from my coaches. I care that they show up for me and pay attention to me. The mental side of both grappling and wrestling can entirely change the outcome of a match. Coach Kelly tells me to always have a 'Champion Mindset' which is something I had previously, but I have adapted to that mindset way more recently."