Delaware Hayes wrestler Ayden Van Hoose dedicates season to late mother

After finishing fourth in the Alabama state wrestling tournament a season ago, Ayden Van Hoose couldn’t wait for his sophomore year at Saks High School and another chance to step onto the mat for the Wildcats.

Only a select few wrestlers in any state are good enough to win a championship, but Van Hoose’s performance as a freshman made him a prime contender.

Whether that state title happens or not, the fact Van Hoose has been competing this winter is a win for him, his family and his new teammates and coaches at Delaware Hayes. Van Hoose’s mother, Abbigail, died Aug. 2 after a second battle with cancer, leading to his move to central Ohio from Anniston, Alabama.

He considered not wrestling this season, but after some encouragement from his father to compete for Delaware, Van Hoose has dedicated the season to his mom.

“I think about her all the time,” said Van Hoose, who is 12-4 competing at 157 pounds. “If she was here, she’d be pretty proud of me. ... She gives me motivation. Every time I win, I think of her. It makes me better. It helps me strive to do my best.”

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Abbigail was originally diagnosed with breast cancer, which forced her to have a mastectomy, but later was determined to be in remission. The cancer returned last summer and eventually spread, according to her husband, Paul. She was 40 years old.

Father helps persuade Van Hoose to wrestle for Delaware Hayes High School

The family previously lived in Marysville, and Ayden and Paul moved back to the area in September. Ayden lives in Delaware with his aunt, Allison Fish, and Paul lives in Marysville. Ayden’s 18-year-old sister, Alexis, remained in Alabama and is a senior at Saks.

“He handled the situation very well. Both of them did,” Paul said of his children. “That’s why we made the move back from Alabama to Ohio. We had Abbigail’s family support for him.”

Ayden, who began wrestling in seventh grade, enrolled at Delaware and was contacted by the coaching staff to determine his interest in joining the program. He was hesitant, but his father gave him a nudge.

“I told him he’s really good at wrestling and it’s something he should stick with,” Paul said. “It would help him in his future. He didn’t want to quit wrestling, he just didn’t know if he wanted to wrestle this year. He wanted to take a year off and I told him that wasn’t a good idea.”

Also, Abbigail loved to watch her son compete.

“She was always there rooting him on just like I am,” Paul said. “We went to every match. Last year, he made it to the state championships (and) placed fourth. We were with him through regional and all that. She was right there just as excited as I was.”

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Kevin Rieman, who shares Delaware head coaching duties with Josh Lamb, has been impressed with Ayden’s attitude and mental toughness.

“You talk about adversity and the things that he’s gone through, I’m just so impressed with how he comes in with a smile on his face every day,” Rieman said. “He works hard. He pushes others. He’s a great teammate. I can’t imagine going through those circumstances at his age and being able to still walk in that room and be how he is.”

Ayden’s teammates have made him feel welcome, aiding his transition to a new school. He quickly became “one of the guys,” Rieman said, because “he gets along with everyone.”

Van Hoose 'has the physical gifts' to succeed in Ohio high school wrestling

On the mat, Ayden said he faces tougher competition in Ohio than Alabama, where he placed at 145 last season in the state's Class 1A-4A Division.

He’ll get his first Ohio postseason test in a Division I sectional Feb. 25. If he finishes in the top four of his weight class, he’ll move on to district March 3 and 4 at Hilliard Darby.

The state tournament is March 10-12 at Value City Arena.

“He’s a great kid, a great addition to the program,” Rieman said. “Alabama is very different than Ohio as far as the competition level, but his strength, his fight, his mentality, it’s all the same. He has a lot to learn and clean up technically, but he has the physical gifts that you need to be successful.”

Ayden’s father wrestled in high school, competing for Urbana before transferring to North Union before his sophomore year. His mother graduated from North Union in 2000.

“I’m very proud of him,” Paul said. “He’s always been very smart. He loves school. We’ve never had problems with him in school. He’s always been a straight-A student and he took that upon himself to make sure he was that way. He makes wise choices and I appreciate that.”

One wise choice was joining the Pacers, who host their marquee regular-season tournament, the 19th annual Rieman Invitational, on Saturday.

“Everyone has been really nice to me and I’ve made some really good friends,” Ayden said. “I consider this my home. I still miss Alabama and everyone there, but I’ve adapted to the change pretty (well).”

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Mother's memory motivates Delaware Hayes wrestler Van Hoose