One wrestler on Green Hope’s incredibly strong lineup stands out among the rest, showcasing his immense skill every time he laces up his shoes. Hutson Catullo (‘26) dominates the mat in practically every match he wrestles, with years of experience to propel him to victory, and victory he has certainly achieved. Catullo recently reached 100 wins in his wrestling career, a phenomenal achievement and a goal of every wrestler, although many never reach it.
Catullo discussed his career and this achievement, walking through his journey to this moment. For him, it started long before his high school career was even in his mind. He has been wrestling for eight to ten years by his approximation, with a short break in middle school. Clearly, wrestling has been an integral part of his life from his childhood. Catullo’s 100th win came from a match against “our Fight for 55 rival” Panther Creek, as Catullo dubbed them.
Like most of his matches, Catullo had little trouble beating his opponent. He talked through the relatively short match that got him to 100 wins, and said, “I pinned him in the second period. I wasn’t able to get him in the first but I chose top in the second and pinned him.” Choosing “top” as Catullo did in his match is when wrestlers set up in “referee’s position,” where one wrestler sets up on the mat and the other covers them. The wrestler on the bottom attempts to get up while the wrestler on top attempts to pin the other, which is exactly what Catullo did.
Many people do the same sports as their parents, following in their footsteps, but few have a father who is such a decorated athlete. Catullo discussed how his dad was an incredible wrestler and also his inspiration to wrestle. He said, “My main inspiration for wrestling was my dad. He was a two time New Jersey state champion and he was an All-American wrestler at UNC Chapel Hill. I’ve always looked up to him and wanted to be more like him in my wrestling.” Enzo Catullo, who is also an assistant coach for the Green Hope team, is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and clearly an incredible influence on Catullo and the rest of the team.
After this massive success, Catullo wants to capitalize on his success and continue his success throughout the rest of the season. He discussed how he wanted to improve on his performance last year, where even then he had a great season. He stated, “Last year, my biggest goal was to make states and possibly place. I was one round away but had an awful loss in the blood round of states by one point last year. This year, I’m hoping I can make it past that round and then place in the top five and get a little higher this year.” While placing at states is undeniably a challenge, it is one that Catullo is up for.
Throughout his extensive wrestling career, there has been one moment that stuck out to Catullo. He discussed his favorite moment of his wrestling career: “My favorite moment was when I qualified for the state tournament last year. It was a super cool moment because my whole team was in my corner and they were cheering for me and hyping me up afterwards.” Citing the connections and friendships that are so evident in the Green Hope team, he can possibly recreate this moment during his current season if he qualifies for states again as he hopes to.
While wrestling is a massive part of Catullo’s life, and one that he dedicates incredible amounts of time and effort to, he does not plan to continue it after high school, instead focusing on his academics. Catullo is a great wrestler and an even better role model and friend for his teammates on the Green Hope wrestling team. 100 wins is only the start for Catullo, and he will continue to improve and capitalize on his awe-inspiring performance.
