Mizzou wrestling commit Zeke Seltzer caps Cathedral career with state three-peat
INDIANAPOLIS (BVM) – Not many high school wrestlers across the country can boast the resume that Zeke Seltzer has. Coming into his senior season at Cathedral High School ranked No. 1 in Indiana at the 132-pound weight class, and as one of the top wrestlers in the nation overall, Seltzer was determined to finish off his high school career on a high note, and he did just that.
Starting wrestling at just 3 years old, Seltzer has been flourishing on the mat for most of his life. However, that comes as no surprise, as Seltzer’s dad, Brian, is a hall of fame wrestling coach at Elkhart Memorial and Lawrence North.
“Since my dad has been coaching wrestling forever, I kind of grew up around wrestling,” Zeke said. “I just loved watching it and I wanted to do it.”
Not only did Brian introduce Zeke to wrestling, but he has always taught him much of what he knows about the sport. Having a hall of fame coach in your corner is never a bad thing, and Zeke has enjoyed every minute of it.
“Ever since I started wrestling, he’s been my coach,” Zeke said. “He’s the one that’s coached me and also taken me everywhere that I’ve gone in wrestling. He just pushes me to be better … He keeps me humble and makes me want to get better.”
Under Brian’s tutelage, Zeke was a quick developer in the sport. In third grade, the family moved from South Bend to Indianapolis, and that is really when his talent began to shine through as he competed against higher-level competition.
“When I moved down here, I was just opened up to so many more opportunities to get better at wrestling and also to compete,” Zeke noted. “The competition is way tougher in Indianapolis.”
Zeke quickly joined Central Indiana Academy (CIA) Wrestling, and began competing against high school-aged kids during junior high. In seventh grade, he won a youth state title, and by eighth grade, he placed sixth at the USA Wrestling National Junior Championships at Fargo, setting the stage for a star-studded high school career.
“A huge confidence booster was when I placed at Fargo in eighth grade,” Zeke said. “That was the moment where I really realized I could be one of the best kids in the country. It made me want to get better and get on top of that podium eventually.”
Through his high school years, Zeke has continued to wrestle on the national stage, and hopes to finally achieve that goal of winning at Fargo later this year. However, it is what he has done in Indiana that has really stood out.
As a freshman at Cathedral High School, Zeke knew he was one of the top wrestlers in the state at the 113-pound weight class. He performed as such, losing just two of his matches while winning over 40. Being part of a team state title at Cathedral was also a highlight of Zeke’s first season. And while a third-place individual finish at state would be satisfying for many, for Zeke, it motivated him to be better.
“Coming up short freshman year really motivated me,” Zeke said. “Taking a loss in the state finals, it sucked. I did not want to do that ever again. After that, I really grinded and worked as hard as I could.”
That motivation fueled what was an incredible sophomore season from the Cathedral wrestler. This time, Zeke would go undefeated throughout the season and bring home his first state title at the 120-pound weight class.
“Sophomore year, I ended up winning and that was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” Zeke said. “Knowing I worked so hard my freshman year and throughout my sophomore year, to finally win it was just awesome … I don’t think anything tops the first state title you win.”
His sophomore season was hard to top, but Zeke may have done so as a junior. Again going undefeated, the wrestler brought home his second consecutive state championship, this time at 126 pounds, and began cementing his legacy within the state.
“Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve dreamed of being one of the Indiana legends,” Zeke said. “Growing up, you see the guys in the program that they give out at state and I wanted to be one of those guys. Winning the second one once again was awesome. I felt like junior season is one of the best seasons I’ve had in my high school career.”
Coming off back-to-back state titles, some may have thought an increased expectation to perform was on Zeke for his senior season. However, he didn’t feel the pressure, and was solely focused on having fun with his team in his final year.
“I didn’t really feel much pressure this year,” Zeke explained. “In my head, I knew I was the best guy. I’ve always had a target on my back, that’s nothing new.
“I’ve spent four years with my teammates and they’ve pushed me to my limits. My senior year was all about having fun … It was just one last ride and I was trying to have fun and my third state title came along with it.”
Zeke would go on to have another absolutely dominant year. By the time the 18-year-old was at state, he had a “business-trip mentality,” and that led him to another title, this time taking down Crown Point’s Anthony Bahl in a 10-5 decision at 132 pounds.
The third of our 2022 IHSAA State Qualifiers is Zeke Seltzer!🤼♂️☘️
Zeke is currently a Senior with a 39-1 record on the year. Good luck this weekend, Zeke!🏅💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/poMPTQQj7N
— Cathedral Wrestling (@ChsSwamp) February 17, 2022
The win put a bow on an impressive 161-3 career record for Zeke. As he won his final state championship, he also got to embrace his dad on the mat, creating a picture perfect finish.
“It’s awesome,” Zeke said. “Just being able to end my senior year on top and with him being in my corner all three years, it’s a really big accomplishment for myself but also for him too because he raised me and coached me. It’s really awesome to see where I started and where I ended in high school. I know he’ll be in the stands yelling whenever I wrestle in Missouri.”
Three state titles in four years is something not many wrestlers accomplish. As a result, Zeke will be remembered for quite some time not only within a dominant Cathedral program, but also within the state as a whole.
“I tried to be the leader on the team and push these guys to be the best,” Zeke said. “Winning that third state title, it was pretty emotional. I’m going to miss high school wrestling a lot, and I just want to leave an impact on Indiana wrestling.”
His time with high school wrestling may be over, but his wrestling career continues to have a bright future. As a top five wrestler in his weight class, Zeke was certainly sought after. But when it came down to it, the University of Missouri was the senior’s top choice.
I am excited to announce that I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at the University of Missouri! Thank you to all my coaches at CIA and Cathedral High School and my parents for helping me along this journey. #TigerStyle 🐯🐯 pic.twitter.com/OcA1T9JUE8
— Zeke Seltzer (@ZekeSeltzer) June 9, 2021
“I got a bunch of calls from many different colleges and it was really overwhelming,” Zeke said. “To be honest, I didn’t really have that many offers, but it was pretty much between Missouri and Purdue. When I went on my visit to Missouri, it immediately felt like that was the right place … They stuck with me the entire recruiting process and that showed a lot for me.”
Realizing there will be a big adjustment from the high school to collegiate level, Zeke plans to redshirt for his first season next fall to take in as much knowledge as he can.
However, he will join a very successful and storied program as Mizzou, just as he did four years ago at Cathedral. The sky’s the limit for him now just as it was then, and after a high school career that was better than most, Zeke is set to continue his success in Missouri.
“I know in Missouri I’m going to get pushed,” Zeke said. “If you look at the roster right now, there’s three world team members, and two of them won it. Just the thought of me being able to be in a room with three world team members and two world champs, I don’t see how I couldn’t get so much better with those guys.
“The goal is to win a national championship and I think I can do that. It’s not easy winning a national championship, but I’m definitely willing to put in the work to reach that goal … I think I’m capable of anything I want to do.”
