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Show Keith Seals heads SUSC Matmen CjJ Trying to follow in your older brother's footsteps isn't always that easy. For Southern Utah State's Keith Seals, trying to follow in his brother's footsteps has been an inspiration and has given him some goals for which to strive. Seals, a junior heavyweight from Hawthorne, California, curently has a 21-6 record, best on SUSC's wrestling team. Keith's older brother, Milton, was an all-American and Western Athletic Conference champion while at the University of New Mexico, and Keith hopes to become a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champ and an NAIA all-American. "When I was in high school, people always compared us," Keith says. "It really has helped me (0 work harder to try to be as good as him." Seals started wrestling as a sophomore at Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, California, where he captured cap-tured the Ocean League championship as a senior. From Leuzinger Seals went on to El Camino, a California junior college power, where he won the Metro Conference Con-ference heavyweight title last year. "New Mexico wanted me to go there pretty bad," Seals said. "But they didn't accept my police science . credits. Coach (Joe) Lopour had called, so I decided to try Southern Utah." Seals has since changed his major to physical education and hopes to go into coaching. "Keith by far is the best TOP WRESTLER. Keith Seals, SUSC junior heavyweight, Hawthorne, Calif., leads T-Birds with 21-6 record and is best hope for RMAC championship. heavyweight I've had here at Southern Utah," states coach Joe Lopour. "He is very quick and agile for a big man." Seals won't have an easy time as he goes after the RMAC championship, the reason being Adams State's heavyweight Herb Stanley. Not only is Stanley the defending RMAC champ, but he is also an NAIA national champion. "It doesn't really bother me that Stanley will be there," states Keith. "When I went to see my brother in Albuquerque at Christmas, I worked out with Herb. No doubt, he is one of the best I've gone against. I will give it everything I've got." Seals isn't the only wrestler Southern Utah has had from El Camino. Randy Ewing, currently wrestling at 167 pounds, is a transfer from El Camino as was Chubo Sams, a former Thunderbird, who won the RMAC 158 pound championship cham-pionship in 1976. |