By Tori Lohmann

After transferring to Lindenwood in January 2020, Abner Romero, a junior Physical Education major, was quickly met with success as a wrestler at the university, becoming a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II National Champion in his first year here. “Winning a national title is...the highest achievement you can reach as a college level wrestler,” and Romero accomplished this during his first wrestling season at Lindenwood. Romero says that when “you’re a national champion, no one can take that away from you,” and notes that this accomplishment means a lot to him as a wrestler.

This is an incredible achievement for any college athlete, but this is even more significant in Romero’s case because he is a transfer student. Students usually spend four years training for and adapting to a team before becoming national champions. Romero only spent one year on the team before getting a national title. “This was...my first full year at Lindenwood, and there’s no better feeling [than] to be able to come in and get the job done to the best possible point,” he says while reflecting on his success. Romero states that this “means a lot to [him] being a transfer student,” and is grateful that “Coach Rollins and Lindenwood University took a shot on [him] and believed in [him] when no other program in the country would.”

Romero’s wrestling career started his freshman year at Old Dominion University and continued wrestling at Fresno City College, before he eventually came to Lindenwood. He notes that “it’s been a very long and dark road leading up to this point,” and he is extremely thankful for the support Lindenwood and his team have showed him as a college athlete. “They made it very, very easy for me,” he says when asked about how his team has helped him adjust to the sport and his life at Lindenwood. After winning the national title, his team was very proud, which makes Romero even more appreciative of them because he “could not have done [this] without them.”

Eventually, Romero plans “to give back to the sport of wrestling” because “the sport has given [him] everything and has instilled principles and disciplines in [him] that [he] will carry [with him] forever.” He wants to become “an educator and [coach] wrestling” in the future, and having this national title will help him accomplish these goals, as it makes him a more valuable candidate for future employers. “The wrestling community needs more athletes to share their knowledge of the sport in order for it to continue growing,” and who better to do that than a NCAA National Champion like Romero? This title not only proves that Romero is great at what he does but will also benefit him in the future.

Congratulations on your National Champion title, Abner Romero! Lindenwood’s community can’t wait to see what you accomplish in your future.