Gold Bar teen going wrestling Down Under

Gold Bar resident Kaleb Dennis in no stranger to hard work, having become accustomed to achieving his goals through dedication, discipline and - at times - brute force.

Now the 16-year-old Sultan High School sophomore has his sights set on Australia, and he is not afraid to expend some extra effort to get there. Dennis was among a handful of Sultan High School students invited to represent Washington state on the Pacific Conference Wrestling Team, an international competition held on the Gold Coast of Australia. The trip is sponsored by Down Under Sports, an organization that works to promote youth athleticism while providing them with the opportunity to compete in a different country.-á

The trip consists of nine days in Australia, including wrestling competitions, a day at the Great Barrier Reef and three days in Hawaii. In order to participate, he needs to raise $5,000 by the beginning of June.

"It would be an experience of a lifetime for me,GÇ¥ Dennis said. "I never got invited to anything like this before, and I never got to go to a different country before either, so that's two bonuses.GÇ¥

Fundraising kicks off with a pancake breakfast 8-11 a.m. Saturday, March 5,-á at the Mountainview Christian Fellowship in Sultan. The cost is $10, which includes entry into two drawings; one for a trip for two to Australia and Hawaii and the other for a five-day cruise. The drawings are sponsored by Down Under Sports as incentive for people to donate.

In addition to the pancake breakfast, Dennis has several other fundraising activities planned, including a car wash, T-shirt sales and possibly a bake sale. He will also seek sponsorships from local businesses, friends and family members.

Dennis started wrestling in the seventh grade, and quickly found out he was good at it. He said he enjoys the intensity of the sport and the clear relationship between a dedicated training program and success. Hard work during practice equates to achievement on the mat, which means that he gets out exactly what he puts in.-á

And the nearly 6-foot-three-inch, 158-pound wrestler puts a lot into it. He was the only Sultan freshman to make it to the state championships last year, where he wrestled in the 170-pound weight division. Students will sometimes get the opportunity to "wrestle up,GÇ¥ meaning they face a higher level of competition against bigger wrestlers. Dennis is wrestling at 160 this year, and hoping for a second year at state.

Dennis came in third place during the district finals on Saturday, Feb. 6, and as long as he places in the top five at the regionals on Saturday, Feb. 13, he'll be on his way.-á

Sultan High School is known for its high-performing wrestling program, said Kaleb's mom, Joy Dennis.

"Sultan has an amazing wrestling team. They do really, really well. Garth MacDicken and also Charlie Weaver and Danny Belcher GÇô they are amazing,GÇ¥ Joy said. "The kids always do really well and they always have at least four or five kids that make it to state.GÇ¥

During the regular season, Sultan wrestlers practice Monday through Friday, with meets on Thursdays and tournaments on Saturdays. The frequent training is all about building stamina, Dennis said, and being able to maintain a high level of energy while on the mat.-á -á

"It's all endurance and strength,GÇ¥ Dennis said. "Normally I go to the gym for about an hour to an hour and a half after practice for a four-mile run.GÇ¥

It's also about having a solid game plan, he said. In order to keep calm between matches, he strategizes which moves to anticipate and how to counter them. In wrestling, matches are won by points or by pinning, and a win by pinning earns more points for the team. In a pin, a wrestler must force both of their opponent's shoulder blades to the mat, and there are several maneuvers to help get there, including a half nelson or an arm bar.-á -á

Dennis prefers pins to winning by points.

And it wasn't just his skill as a wrestler that got him invited on the Australia trip; the invitation was also based on academic excellence.-á Last year he achieved a 3.95 GPA, and this year his GPA has hovered anywhere from 3.75 to 3.8. Dennis' grades are a big deal, Joy said. Her son struggled with dyslexia in elementary school, and had a difficult time excelling.

"When I started middle school, I had about a 2.6 grade average, which was very low. It was a struggle,GÇ¥ Dennis said. "Then in the seventh grade I failed one class during football season, my very first ever sport, and I did not like that.GÇ¥

He decided there would be no more of that. He pushed himself harder than ever, intensely seeking a way to make things work. Eventually, things started clicking, he said, and his academic outlook became much brighter. In the eighth grade, he became an honor student, and hasn't looked back since.

"I worked really hard and then I got accepted into National Junior Honor Society,GÇ¥ Dennis said. "And then I kept my grades up.GÇ¥

Dennis hopes his skill as a wrestler will eventually help pave his way to college, and after that, he's bound for the military. Dennis has wanted to join the military ever since he was a small child, and if he attends college first, he'll be able to enlist at a higher rank. Initially, he wanted to join the U.S. Marine Corps, but has now decided to join the Navy, so he can become a Navy diver and pursue a career in underwater welding.

In addition to wrestling, Dennis plays football and baseball. He lives in Gold Bar with his parents, Joy and Kenny, and his brothers, Donald and Charles. In his free time, he enjoys dirt bike riding, snowboarding, hunting, fishing and spending time with his girlfriend, Skyler Olson.

For more information about the pancake breakfast, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/535866013240249/. To make a donation directly to Down Under Sports for Dennis' opportunity, visit https://downundersports.com/payment?161166.