Hingham’s Luke Kenny wrestles in memory of late grandfather

Less than 24 hours after attending his grandfather’s funeral in Ireland, Hingham wrestler Luke Kenny rejoined his teammates and took home the sectional crown for the 195-pound weight class on Feb. 15 at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School.

Kenny, a senior captain, grabbed the title while being the top seed in his weight class — helping Hingham earn a third-place finish.

“Taking home a sectional was electric,” Kenny said with a wide smile. “That’s the only way to describe it.”

Kenny was born in London, but due to his parents’ work moved to Hingham, where he began elementary school. His extended family, meanwhile, lived in Ireland, where Kenny, his parents, and two younger sisters made a handful of visits around holidays. That extended family included his grandparents, who Kenny remained in close contact with from 3,000 miles away.

Entering high school, Kenny became interested in playing football, but one afternoon his freshman year while participating in an offseason weight lifting session, Harbormen coach Paul Canniff recruited Kenny to join the wrestling team.

Kenny fell in love with the sport, admiring its competitiveness and the adrenaline rush it generates. He kept his grandparents across the Atlantic updated on his progress both on the mat and in the spring, where he is also a captain of Hingham’s rugby team.

“They love hearing back. It’s hard for them to keep up with them being so far away, so they have always appreciated when I send them text messages on how I am doing,” Kenny said. “They enjoy keeping up the best they can.”

But in the days leading up to sectionals two weeks ago, Kenny received some heartbreaking news. His grandfather, who had recent health struggles, died because of complications stemming from a seizure. The funeral — set for the day before Kenny was set to compete — left him grappling to cope with the loss.

“It took a little thought process, but I just thought it was what he would want me to do,” Kenny said. “I had to talk to my dad and talk to coach (Canniff).”

Kenny rescheduled his flight home, allowing him to attend the funeral before leaving Ireland that same day and arriving back in Hingham late the night before he was set to wrestle at sectionals. When Kenny arrived at Whitman-Hanson that Saturday, only one thought crossed his mind.

“I was sitting on the plane for hours, flying across the ocean,” Kenny said. “I was not doing that to come in second.”

One year after almost failing to place at sectionals altogether, Kenny put on the finest performance of his career. He grabbed three victories on the day, including knocking off second-seeded Max Anderson from Oliver Ames, 7-4.

While having his arm raised that afternoon will always hold a special place in Kenny’s mind, the most significant moment from that day came just seconds before he won his final match. On his back, staring at potential defeat, Kenny recalled his grandfather in the hopes of being able to pull off one final victory to honor his legacy.

“I remember the final match I was on my back and while there I just thought of him, and I thought it just gave me that extra bit of willpower to win the match,” Kenny said. “I thought I earned a lot of respect from him that day. That’s all I wanted to do.”

Kenny will compete on Saturday at All-States.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2I4YfOG