Wes White was pushed off the mat early in his collegiate career. Plenty said he would never wrestle another match. Not only would he wrestle another match, he would become a national champion. After winning a state championship for Tulsa Hale, Wes finished 30-9 and sixth at the 1988 NCAA Division I Championships for Oklahoma State.

He qualified for the 1989 NCAAs, but during that sophomore season he began experiencing symptoms that would eventually be diagnosed as Ulcerative Colitis, a disease where inflammation develops in the large intestine. After surgery to remove his entire colon, Wes was off the mat for almost 3 1/2 years.

Slowly but surely he made his way back, and in 1992 he enrolled at Central Oklahoma. Although never 100 percent, Wes would win two Division II championships and never lost a match to a Division II opponent.

After his wrestling career was completed, he remained in Edmond working as a graduate assistant for Coach David James from 1994-97. He took over the program at Yukon in 1997, coaching two wrestlers to state titles during his short tenure.

Now a medical sales representative, Wes is proof that a “never-give-up” attitude can lead to great things.