Kyle Norstrem dominates every time he touches the mat. The Brandon junior pinned Merritt Island's Ryan Hudson in 3:27 to win his fourth state title. Success is the only option for Norstrem as he not only adds to his legacy, but the great Eagles wrestling tradition, who won their state record 15th straight state title.
“Second is ok but don’t fall in love with it,” said Norstrem, who won the 120-pound weight class in Class 2A. “Taking a loss that’s fine with it, by the time you get to districts, regions and states, doesn’t matter what your record is, it just happened that I was undefeated going into states.”
And it just so happened, his record stayed that way—perfect for the second year in a row.
“Kyle is just like some of the best kids I’ve ever had here, and plus he’s an exceptional leader too. It gives him as added quality that’s really valuable for our team,” longtime coach Russ Cozart said.
That speaks volumes of Norstrem, considering Brandon has produced 111 individual state champions, an Olympian, several Division I athletes and 26 state titles.
“He’s gifted, gifted athlete—very talented, a lot of balance, a lot of strength for his size. He’s definitely going to be a strong contender for a fifth title because I’m gonna be on him. I know how hard he’s gonna work. There won’t be any stopping him,” Cozart added.
It’s a tall task for the 5-foot-7 wrestler, who is ranked fifth in his weight class according to Intermat Wrestling. Only four other wrestlers have won five state titles, three of them were from Brandon, including Kyle’s brother, Kevin.
“I so wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. He’s a great brother. He’s a great mentor. He’s a coach,” the four-time champion said.
Norstrem, who verbally committed to Virginia Tech, plans to team up his older brother on the mat again. He admits that there’s a great pressure to live up to his brother’s success and the Brandon standard, but Norstrem says there’s one accomplishment that can set him apart—going undefeated in there consecutive seasons.