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Wednesday, January 17, 2001
Lee wrestles With a record of 24-0, one could say St. Louis School wrestling champ Travis Lee dominates his opponents.
with greatness
The St. Louis senior
is the two-time defending
125-pound championBy Ben Freedman
Special to the Star-BulletinConsidering his cumulative grade-point average of 3.5, it's apparent he tackles his schoolwork with the same ferocity he does his adversaries on the mat.
"Ever since he could get letter grades he was determined to get A's," said Lee's mother, Lynette.
Out of five days a week at school, he spends four practicing two hours afterward, followed by another hour-and-a-half of weightlifting. Lee also punches in eight hours a week at a part-time job. And don't forget those weekend tournaments.
You wonder if the kid gets drained.
"Sometimes I do feel tired but, then again, the satisfaction of doing good in school and doing good in wrestling is all worthwhile," Lee said.
The 125-pound senior is also the two-time defending state champion in his weight class.
Lee and his St. Louis teammates have five more meets before the Interscholastic League of Honolulu tournament on Feb. 17 and Feb. 24. The state tournament is March 2-3 at the Blaisdell Arena.
Fifth-year Crusader coach Todd Los Banos has seen a hefty share of champions, even before taking over at St. Louis. He served 14 years at Iolani -- 13 as an assistant and one at the helm of the state's winningest wrestling program.
This past season the Crusaders boasted six state individual champions. Lee may be the best of the bunch.
"He's the most skilled wrestler I've coached," Los Banos said. "He's just relentless on the mat. He's there to dominate in the right way. He's not there to hurt the guy, he's there to dominate. He's the kind of wrestler that doesn't give you a chance to breathe."
Whether it's by decision or pin (Lee has 17 of them this season), he's earned the label as one of the country's top 10 in his weight class.
After finishing last season with a 44-1 record, Lee traveled to North Dakota in July to compete in the junior nationals. Competing among a pool of 2,000 of the nation's best high school wrestlers, he placed fourth in Greco-Roman and sixth in freestyle.
Despite his status as a nationally-ranked athlete, Lee doesn't let success change him.
"His humility comes from his work ethic," Los Banos said.
Some of it may come from being the youngest of three boys.
"I think his older brothers have probably licked him a few times when he was younger," Los Banos said jokingly.
Even if Travis was on the bottom of the food chain growing up, it hasn't made him into a bully.
"Usually I don't like to intimidate people," Lee said. "I mean, I think when you do that, you kind of get them a little mad and stuff, so I just like to play."
He also likes to train, which is apparent by his chiseled physique and 7 percent body fat ratio.
But it takes more than muscles and quickness to amass a career record of 138-7.
"It's how he trains," said senior Bronson Beaver, state champ in the 171-pound class and a teammate of Lee's since the eighth grade. "He's always pushing it, always working hard, going over his moves after practice."
It may also be that Lee has been in the spectrum of individual competition since kindergarten. At age 5 he took up judo; Lee says it is similar to wrestling in style. After seven years of commitment to judo, Lee discovered a new passion.
The switch was not a difficult one.
"It came kind of natural," Lee said. "I liked it. It was a good transition from judo to wrestling. A lot of people make that transition during high school.
"I wouldn't say it was easy, but I guess I had an easier time than some of the other people who weren't involved in judo."
Lee's determination on the mat and in the classroom has resulted in offers from several schools, with Cornell topping the list. After visiting the New York campus in November, he hopes to enroll there.
"It was very nice," said Lee, who is thinking of studying engineering. "I like the scenery. A lot of those old colonial style-looking buildings and ivy growing up the sides and all of that.
"It was secluded away from the city. It was like a little cottage town."
Lee isn't one of the larger members on the St. Louis team, but judging by the way he inspires his teammates when he helps lead condit
ioning drills, it's safe to say he's one of the most respected. Hawaii School Web Sites