Gulf Breeze's Ryder Cohen wins PNJ Athlete of the Week award after earning region crown

Another week, another Gulf Breeze wrestler named the PNJ Athlete of the Week.

Ryder Cohen won the PNJ Athlete of the Week award, sponsored by Florida Power and Light. The freshman capped off his first varsity season in a strong way.

During the week of Feb. 24 through March 1, Cohen was the area's lone region champion in boys wrestling at the Region 1-2A meet, hosted by Lincoln High in Tallahassee.

Cohen pinned his way – literally – to the championship bout. He pinned Elias Lawson at :54 before winning by fall at :34 against Andrew Arsenault. Then he pinned Jason Marsala at 4:49 in the semifinals, before defeating New Smyrna Beach's Patrick Mayfield at 5:16 by pin to claim the title.

At the state championships, Cohen fell in the wrestlebacks in the 106-pound weight class, though did pick up a first-round 16-11 decision victory over Jacob Rhodes.

After his postseason run at regionals, Cohen won the Athlete of the Week award, claiming 60.79% of the poll's votes on the PNJ's website the following week. Each weekly winner is awarded a one-of-a-kind PNJ Athlete of the Week shirt.

Here's a question-and-answer session with Cohen after he spoke with PNJ Sports Reporter Ben Grieco.

Q&A with Gulf Breeze wrestling's Ryder Cohen

Gulf Breeze wrestler Ryder Cohen won the PNJ Athlete of the Week award for the week of Feb. 24 through March 1 after claiming the Region 1-2A crown in the 106-pound weight class.

PNJ: Now that your freshman season is complete, what was your first season like at the varsity level?

Ryder Cohen: "I thought it was fun. I had good coaching. I learned a lot, more than I ever have in my wrestling career. I had a lot of opportunities to get extra work to get better."

PNJ: Was there anything unique about this season for you?

RC: "Coaches gave us a lot more opportunities to do extra. We were able to have those opportunities outside of high school."

PNJ: What do those extra reps do for you, just getting that work in?

RC: "It helps me jump levels and get better."

PNJ: How was it getting the experience at state this year as a freshman?

RC: "It was fun. I learned from watching other people. It was a really cool experience."

PNJ: Does it give you that motivation to get back to state?

RC: "Yeah. I feel like I can win it next year. I'm excited to go back."

PNJ: For the rest of the postseason, how did it feel to win district and region titles along the way?

RC: "They definitely boosted my confidence. The skill-level definitely jumped from districts and regionals to state."

PNJ: What's the biggest thing you took away from states?

RC: "Probably watching my teammates. It's cool see everyone else do well."

PNJ: What does your offseason look like now?

RC: "I don't want cut weight anymore like I did this past season. I'm going to be lifting a lot and practice every day."

PNJ: Not cutting weight, are you looking to get into a bigger weight class?

RC: "For sure."

PNJ: Is that a lot of watching what you eat and workouts?

RC: "I can eat what I want, but I have to make sure it's clean."

PNJ: Now for some quick ones. Do you have any pre-match superstitions or traditions?

RC: "Not really. I like to listen to music and look good while wrestle. Maybe (the tradition of) having some nice stuff on."

PNJ: What type of music do you listen to before a match?

RC: "Usually calm music. I have Rihanna on there a good amount. 'Stay' is a good song."

PNJ: Do you have a go-to pre-match meal or snack?

RC: "A peanut butter and jelly, and a lot of Vitamin Water. ... I like the dragon fruit one."

PNJ: Are there any wrestlers that you follow pretty heavily, or do you have any wrestling influences?

RC: "I follow a lot of college wrestling. I like Bryce Andonian, he used to wrestle for Virginia Tech. I like the way he wrestles."

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Gulf Breeze's Ryder Cohen wins PNJ Athlete of the Week award

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