RALEIGH, N.C. – Former Fort Lupton standout Dale Shull is transplanted into a new city and onto a new wrestling team.

    Shull finished the regular season with a record of 18-16 at North Carolina State. He took fourth at 133 pounds at the ACC championships over the weekend.

    “I am learning a lot this year, and I am doing it the hard way,” he said. “I did not take a red shirt year this year, so I am learning (NCAA) Division 1 wrestling through experience. I did not get a year to prepare for it. I am winning matches that I should be winning, but I am also losing matches that I should be winning, I am making little mistakes that veteran college wrestlers are able to easily capitalize on.”

    In college wrestling, the first period is three minutes long, followed by two, two-minute sessions. In high school, it’s three, two-minute periods.

    Shull said another difference between high school and college wrestling is depth of talent.

    “In high school, I would have a hard match here, an easy match here. In college every match is a fight ‘til the end,” Shull said. “Everybody is in great shape, and everybody is at their best. So there are no easy matches.

    “In high school, if I got in on a move, I knew I would score my points,” he continued. “But in college, opponents do not give points easy at all. I have to push until the finish in order to get my points.”

    Another adjustment is the amount of work involved.

    “It has been pretty tough making the adjustment,” he said. “There is a lot more working out, a lot more lifting, and a lot more punishment that my body has to take every day.”

    The school work has been an adjustment, too.

    “Balancing classes, working out, practices, homework, study hall and sleep has been a huge challenge for me this year,” he said. “This is a challenge that I did not see coming. But I finished last semester on a strong note and I hope to do the same in the spring semester.”

    Despite the tougher load – in school and on the wrestling mat – Shull said the experience is exactly what he thought it would be.

    “I knew it was going to be way harder and I knew I was going to have to go through a lot more tough workouts in order to even get a starting spot on the team,” he said.

    N.C. State recruited him as a 141-pounder. But Shull and his coaches made the choice to drop down a weight (133).

    “I will be more competitive at that weight because I will not be outstrengthed every match,” Shull said. “My goals now are to win an ACC title then go to

nationals and win some matches.”