THE EXTRA MILE: Hard work is paying off for Elsinore’s Chaste Harrell


The real scoop on Elsinore's Chaste Harrell is this: The senior wrestler does have a weakness.

"I love ice cream," Harrell admitted. "Especially banana ice cream, which is kind of hard to find."

Harrell was too busy to go hunting for his favorite flavor last Saturday because he was preparing for the championship bracket at the CIF Southern Section Masters meet at Temecula Valley High School.

But as Tiger coach Jeff Hickok happened by in the morning, he noticed his star pupil shoveling down spoonfuls of a more accessible ice cream—vanilla.

"I don't know if that's in the Masters Champion training manual," Hickok quipped moments after the 171-pound Harrell defeated Ventura's Isaac Archibeque in a championship match last Saturday. "But it worked for him tonight."

His decadent performance earned Harrell a spot in this weekend's state meet in Bakersfield. He figures to be a top contender to capture the 171-pound state title.

Harrell has enjoyed a sweet season. He is 45-3, including being named MVP of both the El Dorado and La Quinta Tournaments, victories at the Riverside County Championship, a Sunbelt League crown and a Southern Section Coastal Division title.

Then came his impressive performance last week, as he became the first Elsinore grappler to win a Masters title since Kylle Little in 1996.

Despite his impressive record, Harrell did endure a couple of sour moments last month while competing at 189 pounds. He lost a couple of matches to state ranked 189-pounders at the Temecula Valley Invitational, and started to question his future.

"I thought I would have a better chance to compete at 171," Harrell said. "That' s where I thought I could be the most dominant." He talked it over with Hickok, and Harrell decided to cut the weight — and the snacks.

"For most kids, that would be a big jump, but he was never losing weight to get down to 189," said Hickok. "The trade off was that now he had to start worrying about his weight."

Since dropping to 171 in mid-February, Harrell has replaced sweets with lots of sweat. His training regimen at the lower weight has included lots of early-morning jogging, which means less sleep.

And his breakfast bowl is now usually filled with oatmeal.

"I had to give up some things in order to compete at 171," said Harrell, who will attend Cal State Fullerton in the fall. "I used to eat a lot more ice cream when I was at 189. But when you are up all that weight, and start losing, your stomach shrinks."

Did he ever doubt his decision?

"Those thoughts cross your mind, but you've got to learn to block them out, because, in the end, the reward is worth it," Harrell said. "I live by this quote that says, ‘If you go the extra mile, it's not as crowded.' And I've always tried to prove myself dominant by going that extra mile, and it's paid off so far."

Since losing the weight, Harrell has enjoyed his just desserts, compiling a record of 12-0.


