Double Amputee High Schooler Wins State Wrestling Title
When you talk improbable champions, Hassan Hawthorne really ought to be at the top of your list.
Hawthorne, a senior at Pelham High School, in Pelham, Ala., put the finishing touches on an undefeated season by beating Southside-Gadsden's Landon Thompson to claim the Class 6A, 145-pound title at the AHSAA State Wrestling Championships over the weekend.
Hawthorne's title comes one year after he finished in third place in the 160-pound division.
There's some debate over what his final record. AL.com reports he was 37-0, while the video description capturing his final match says 40-0. Either way, it's an impressive accomplishment, amputee or not.
Hawthorne's time wrestling is far from over. He told AL.com, "I plan to go to nationals and then in college, but I don't know where yet."
Hawthorne, who was born without tibias, lost one leg when he was three months old and the other two years ago.
He's also not the only wrestler out there with a handicap. Most notably, there's Anthony Robles, who won the NCAA wrestling title in the 125-pound weight class in 2011.