As Cody Ginther ended his senior season, he claimed the title as Fossil Ridge High School’s first ever champion wrestler. At first there was doubt due to COVID-19 that the Colorado High School Athletic Association(CHSAA) would even allow wrestlers the chance to get on the mat this year. Ginther knew the moment CHSAA approved the Season B sports, he would put in his all.

Winning state was a relief. Ginther’s success is not pinned to the weeks of competitions and matches. Ginther began putting in time with a personal trainer for two hours before the sun came up. He dedicated himself to lifting and wrestling in the off-season, but he never let wrestling be the sole thing that defined him like he has in years past. 

Outside of the wrestling room Ginther loves hunting and fishing. Moments on the bank of a river  with his grandpa became inspiring moments for Ginther and more than just a fun hobby. His grandpa would always tell him, “a country boy can survive.” Ginther took this to heart. “It was like a broken record, he’d say it probably 100 times a day, but it stuck with me,” says Ginther. 

Ginther’s upbringing began in Salida, Colorado. Ginther was always very active playing four sports up until the age of nine. Each season he had a different sport he enjoyed. “Football in the fall, basketball in the winter, wrestling the other half of winter, and then baseball all throughout summer,” Ginther explains.

Competition increased when Ginther’s family moved to Fort Collins, leading him to narrow in his focus on the sport he had the most passion for. Wrestling began to take a lot of commitment and dedication for Ginther. He knew he needed to stand out from the other wrestlers on the mat if he was going to taste any victory. 

Ginther was in the finals with another Fort Collins wrestler, Kolten Strait from Rocky Mountain High School. “It’d be way different if he was some dude from Colorado Springs that I’d never met in my whole life,” says Ginther. At first it did not phase him, but when reflecting after the match Ginther admitted it was more fun wrestling against someone he knew and had wrestled with before. 

According to Ginther, wrestling takes a “different breed.” He wishes more people would participate in wrestling. “Basically, we go to school everyday and we beat the hell out of each other and then we’re best friends afterwards.” 

Looking down the road, Ginther has committed to Western Colorado State in Gunnison. He will be wrestling with the Mountaineers for five years while studying exercise science. Ginther is enthusiastic about the direction he has decided to take. 

As with any 2021 graduate, Ginther is relieved he has an outlook for this season that has seemed unclear. Congratulations to Ginther and all of Fossil’s wrestling team on their success this year.