AVON, Ind. (WISH) — Last season as a freshman, Avon’s Nate Rioux nearly won a wrestling state championship, finishing as runner-up.

This year, Rioux is once again one of the top wrestlers in the state and is using that close call as motivation to take the next step for the Orioles. He’s currently the second-ranked wrestler at 113 pounds.

Rioux comes from a family of five boys, and got into wrestling at the age of three after seeing his older brother do it. He immediately fell in love with the sport and says his favorite part of wrestling is the bond with teammates that are much like family.

Rioux feels he’s grown as a wrestler between his freshman and sophomore seasons and definitely feels more comfortable on the mat knowing what high school wrestling is all about, but his goals extend beyond high school. He’d love to be part of an Olympic team and also compete for national titles collegiately.