P&G

PURPLE & GOLD

Dayne Dalrymple took the Purple Wave wrestling program to new heights.

The push-ups were easy. At age 4. Dayne Dalrymple may not have been born a wrestler, but he was born fit, earning praise for how “cut” he appeared before he could reach the top of the kitchen counter. Traveling as a toddler to watch his older brother, Tate, play in baseball games and compete in wrestling tournaments, it’s little wonder the Purple Wave’s two-time state champion — the Daily Memphian 2021 Wrestler of the Year — found himself at home on the wrestling mat.

“He really looked up to his big brother,” says Dayne’s father, Chris. “There was such a gap in age. Both Tate [eight years older] and my daughter, Amanda [10 years older], felt like Dayne was their son, too. His brother and sister were playing sports, so he thought that was what everybody did.”

If you choose to recite Dayne’s wrestling achievements, take a deep breath. He won no fewer than six youth state titles competing for Wave Wrestling Club. As a freshman at Christian Brothers (competing at 106 pounds), Dayne was runner-up at the TSSAA state championships. After a third-place finish as a sophomore, he won the Division II state title in both 2020 (at 120 pounds) and as a senior this year (at 132 pounds). He helped lead the Purple Wave to a second-place finish (behind Chattanooga’s Baylor School) in the 2021 state tournament. And in April, again competing for his club team, Dayne earned All-America status by finishing 7th at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach.

To Dayne himself, his four years at CBHS seem to have flown by as quickly as a six-minute match. “It’s crazy to think of all the things that I’ve done, and it doesn’t seem that long,” he says. “There were a couple of years there — cutting weight and stuff like that — that seemed like it was going slowly, but when I look back, it went by too fast. That state championship freshman year, I was so nervous. Most nervous I’ve ever been for a match. But I’ve grown acclimated to the pressure.”

At an early age, Dayne showed an acumen for wrestling — the quickness, agility, and balance — that began separating him from his competition. But it was the commitment to the sport — mind, time, and energy — that has fueled his rise to such grappling heights. “It’s a lot of stance and motion,” notes Chris, “and learning your basic moves. And defense.” Chris helped teach these basics to Dayne, but the kid ran with the instruction. “When he was young, he couldn’t get enough [wrestling],” adds Chris. “My attitude was, when he’s hungry, we feed him. When he’s not, we don’t. If he wanted to go to a tournament, we’d find one. Missouri, Tulsa, wherever.”

It’s hard for Dayne to reach back to memories that don’t include wrestling as part of his day-to-day life. “I really wanted to be good at wrestling, like my big brother,” says Dayne. “The turning point for me — what convinced me this [sport] is what I want to do — was that thrill of winning a big match. And the brotherhood with all my teammates; that’s something I never want to give up.”

Chris wrestled in high school, but his wife Shelia didn’t enter the world of competitive wrestling until she began following their sons from one tournament to the next. “I grew up on baseball,” she says, “and first thought [wrestling] was the most boring sport ever. But now I love it: I eat, breathe, and sleep wrestling. Love every second of it. These kids at Christian Brothers have true discipline and character. It brings it all together.”

When asked for a scouting report on Dayne, Chris says, “He’s very coachable. He never gets out of position. It’s so hard to score on him. He’s disciplined. Even when he’s attacking, he doesn’t allow openings for a counter-attack.”

Among Dayne’s skill set is selfmotivation, a drive to make his next match the best of his life. “There’s always the next guy to try and beat,” he says. “There’s always the next tournament to try and win. It keeps me going. When things are flowing and everything feels right, and moves are coming together … it’s the best feeling. I get myself amped up [before a big match], but I also stay calm, and loose. I’ve learned to go out and wrestle my match, and not worry about what [the opponent] is going to do. Make him worry about what I’ll do.”

Dayne doesn’t hesitate when asked about his favorite memory in a CBHS uniform. “My junior year, at the state duals semifinals,” he says. “I had to wrestle a defending state champion [for McCallie], and we were down by five points. All I could do for us to win was pin that state champ. I pinned him in the first period. It was one of the craziest feelings ever.”

As Dayne departs for UT-Chattanooga in the fall, few will miss him like CBHS coach Derek Harrison. “Dayne Dalrymple has been a blessing to coach,” says Harrison, who earned Coach of the Year honors this year from the Daily Memphian. “I couldn’t ask for a better kid on and off the mat. He makes me proud to be in the profession. He will do anything that is asked of him and never complains.

“As Dayne transitions to college to continue his career, I have bittersweet feelings. On one hand I’m extremely proud; on the other hand I hate to see such a great role model leave our program. I know he will accomplish great things at the next level though. The Dalrymples have been huge supporters of our program. Shelia and Chris are truly one of a kind and I will always appreciate what they have done for CBHS wrestling.”

Champions tend to carry the rewards of their sport beyond the field of competition, and Dayne Dalrymple knows wrestling will take him places well beyond the mat. “Work ethic and toughness,” he emphasizes. “Those are the two biggest things you need for success in wrestling. I can take that with me.” • — Frank Murtaugh