There was a time when wrestling might have been a hobby for Seth Aubin.
It’s a much different story these days, according to Hobart coach Zack Johansen, who is also Aubin’s uncle.
“When he was little, he was wrestling for fun,” Johansen said. “Now it’s his life.”
That life is ready for its next chapter as Aubin, a Hobart junior who is ranked No. 2 at 120 pounds by IndianaMat, begins his latest pursuit of a state championship at the Portage Sectional on Saturday.
Aubin (30-1) is no stranger to deep postseason runs. A two-time state qualifier, he placed eighth at 113 at the state meet last season and finished with a 37-9 record. Jumping up to 120 hasn’t slowed him down. He finished first at the Northwest Crossroads Conference Meet on Jan. 13.
But when Aubin was asked whether there’s anything he’s especially proud of doing this season, he didn’t hesitate.
“Not yet,” he said. “I’m waiting until state.”
Aubin has dreamed about winning a state title for years, but his results in his first two high school seasons helped him find a new gear.
“He wants to be the best, and Seth took a huge jump this summer,” Johansen said. “He went to offseason tournaments, went to Fargo, hit the weight room and got a lot stronger.”
Aubin said he spent countless hours on the mats at Region Wrestling Academy, a local club full of top-flight wrestlers. He also dabbled in freestyle wrestling, a more fluid version of the sport.
“I’ve definitely been on my feet more, and freestyle helped with that a lot,” he said. “I was able to hang around with some of the best guys in the country. I went to Fargo and beat two state champions there.”
Aubin defeated another state champion, Center Grove senior Charlie LaRocca, during Mishawaka’s Al Smith Classic in late December. Aubin said it wasn’t just improved strength or agility that helped him beat LaRocca, who won the state title at 113 last season.
“I’ve vastly improved my mental game,” he said. “I’d wanted to work on my mentality going into matches and not panicking if I get into tough situations, just telling myself that I can beat this guy.”
Aubin thinks about wrestling frequently. He spends many hours replaying his matches, breaking down his technique or laying out his path to a state title. It makes him one of the quieter guys on the team, according to Hobart junior Daniel Mata.
“He is quiet,” Mata said. “You have to get to know him real well for him to open up. He opens up with us. But he always knows who’s ahead of him and who the guys are that he needs to beat, so that’s probably what motivates him to come in every day and get better.”
Mata, who wrestles at 126, has learned Aubin’s motivation doesn’t run dry.
“He’s a hammer,” Mata said. “You have to be ready to come into this room and drill with someone like him. He’s a good partner, and I’m grateful to have him because he pushes me every single day.”
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Aubin is pushing himself too. He has an opportunity to see his portrait added to the wall of state champions in Hobart’s wrestling room.
“His focus in and outside of the wrestling room has been great,” Johansen said. “He’s got his weight cuts down to a science. He wants to be a state champion. He wants his painting up on that wall.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.