GoHeels Exclusive: Monday Motivation

By Joe Wedra, UNC Athletic Communications

It hasn't taken long for Kennedy Monday to become one of the most recognized names in the Carolina wrestling room.

The redshirt sophomore has just one full year under his belt, but after a 2017-18 season in which he took command of the 157 weight class and fell just one round short of being an All-American at the NCAA Championships, it seems as though Monday already carries with him the steady veteran presence of an upperclassman.

Emerging as a freshman

The Arlington, Texas, native entered last season as "the guy" at 157, and despite dealing with the tricky transition from redshirting to being thrown into the lineup, Monday found a way to make a name for himself toward the end of December.

After going through a stretch in November in which he lost five of seven matches, he entered the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational at the start of December with a tough draw – No. 4 Tyler Berger of Nebraska, Monday's first ranked matchup of his career.

It ended in a 7-5 overtime loss that continued the losing stretch, but it set Monday up for one of the biggest statements of the year and a turning point for his redshirt freshman season.

Just 16 days later, UNC's first true road dual of the year was at Nebraska. Monday would get a second round against Berger, and this time the result ended up being quite different.

It took all of 91 seconds to secure his first career dual win via fall.

"We tweaked some stuff. We worked on it and watched some film and I was much more confident. Whenever I wrestle guys the second time, I'm much more confident. I know their tendencies. My coaches told me I could beat him. I lost to him in overtime before and then went out and pinned him. That was fun," Monday said with a laugh.

If the Berger match marked the moment in which Monday made a name for himself nationally, his performance over the next month certainly did nothing to hurt that recognition. He'd gather two more wins against top-12 wrestlers on the year and strung together three straight wins in ACC duals to improve to 15-11 (3-0 ACC) on February 3 as the end of the season inched closer.

And despite dropping his final two ACC matches against Duke and NC State – both against top-10 wrestlers – he was able to qualify for NCAAs with a third-place finish in the ACC Championships.

Making a name at NCAAs

Earning the nod to Cleveland last year was a special moment for Monday, one that carried unique significance. His father, Kenny Monday, won an NCAA title in 1984 at Oklahoma State and went on to win a gold medal just four years later for the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Earning the nod to NCAAs in Cleveland was Kennedy's moment – one that brought with it a "make a name for yourself" moment on a national stage.

"It's the end of the year, so everyone is tired and worn out. That two-week stretch is just really crucial," Monday said of the days leading up to NCAA Championships. "In terms of preparation and in terms of where your head is at, everyone is just beat up. You just have to put your head down… the brackets do come out a week before, so you try to figure out a game plan and tweak things up a bit."

When Monday saw that bracket, it became even more clear that the trip to NCAAs wasn't just going to consist of tough matches – it would be yet another opportunity to make his name known at a national level. The first-round matchup couldn't have been a better one to introduce the entire wrestling world to Kennedy Monday.

His draw was No. 2 Joey Lavallee of Missouri, who had defeated Monday via a tech fall, 17-2, on December 29 in UNC's dual against the Tigers. For most, the draw would have indicated disaster. But for Monday – self-proclaimed as a "different wrestler" when he sees an opponent for the second time – he didn't bat an eyelash.

"Ever since I got beat by him, I knew I had to get him back," Monday said. "That's just my mentality. I was pumped when I saw the brackets. I knew I could make a name for myself there and I knew that it was going to be a different outcome. I knew I worked harder and I was just a different wrestler from December to March."

To be sure, Monday sure looked to be the different wrestler he said he thought he was. He shot out of the gate with four takedowns in the first period and was able to hold off Lavallee for one of the first major upsets of the tournament.

The 8-6 win was the perfect start to his breakout tournament. But as great as the victory felt, it wasn't able to keep him from heartbreak of being just one round away from earning All-American status.

After coming back and defeating No. 10 Markus Scheidel of Columbia, Monday dropped a 6-5 heartbreaker against No. 13 Luke Zilverberg of South Dakota State to leave Quicken Loans Arena just one takedown away from finishing within the glory of the top eight.

Using one point as motivation

Falling one match short of All-American honors is tough enough, but losing by a single point takes the experience to an entirely different level – nightmarish, even.

Monday said that even a couple of weeks after NCAAs, he still had bad dreams about the match and the way it transpired.

"It was a life lesson," he described. "One match away, it just goes to show you how life is. It was heartbreaking. I still think about it today, and it actually makes me realize how close I am to where I need to be. Coming into this next season, I know that if I work just a little bit harder, the sky is the limit."

As the Carolina coaching staff has ticked up the intensity this offseason, Monday says he's feeling as comfortable and confident as he can ever remember. Last year is now a memory – one with plenty of ups, downs and truly everything in between.

But coming back for his third season, he says the preparation just feels different.

He's been through it all before. And as the national attention has finally found its way to Kennedy's name, he's ready to emerge, with the help of the staff in a highly decorated Tar Heel room, as one of the nation's best at 157.

"The biggest goal for me is to be an NCAA champion," Monday said. "Everyone says that, but I really do believe I can finish."

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