Tate Bein, with his parents, Ellie and Brent, after recording his 150th career victory in last season’s Division II district tournament at Wilmington. Photo courtesy Tate Bein.
His name is now and forever will be written in the Ohio High School Athletic Association record book.
2023 Batavia High School graduate Tate Bein earned the recognition in one of the final matches of his high school career, on Ohio’s biggest stage, last March. His victory, at 1 minute, 12 seconds, over Madison Comprehensive’s Mike Thomas, in the first round of the OHSAA Division II tournament was Bein’s 115th career fall – 10 more than the threshold for state record books.
The 18-year-old, who wrestled last season at 126 pounds, answered questions from The Clermont Sun about his career, the record, and what he has been doing since graduating last spring.
What are you doing now?
“Working at Mount Carmel Brewery and doing landscaping with plans of going to school for aviation mechanics.”
You are in the Ohio High School Athletic Association record book for career falls. What does that mean to you? When did you know you had the record? What was your reaction?
“Being in the record book is a huge accomplishment for me. To get into it for career falls is a minimum of 105. I came into my senior season with 78 so while I knew it was possible, I knew I was really going to have to get to work.
“I got my 100th fall at the Miami Trace Invitational in mid-January, and that’s when I really strived to accomplish it. I started putting the extra work in because I knew how much this would mean to not only me but my parents and everyone who looked up to me. I hit 105 falls at the Milford Invitational, the same day my teammate, Nathan Kulbe, got his 150th win. Once I achieved that I kept pushing, and got my 115th and final pin during my first match of the state tournament.
“It wasn’t really my reaction that stood out, but more so my teammates. They made me realize my impact on our team, I couldn’t have asked for better teammates. They cheered me on matside, and celebrated with me after.”
When did you start wrestling? What attracted you to the sport and what did you like about it? Why did you stay with it?
“I started wrestling when I was kindergarten. I was attracted to the sport because of my dad (Brent), he was an excellent wrestler. I loved everything about it, all the life lessons it taught me, the strength it brought me, and all the friends and memories I made through it. I stuck with it because I had big shoes to fill, I always had people come up to me and ask if Brent Bein was my dad, then they would follow with stories about when he wrestled and that pushed me to live up to that.”
What memories from your high school career stand out? What specific moments or matches do you remember?
“The memories from my high school career that stand out definitely have to be the bus rides, the home duals, and Friday practices, but the memory that sticks with me the most is when I set this school record. I will cherish every memory with my teammates because no matter how hard wrestling was, they always made it fun.
“The match that I will always remember will be my Senior Night match because it was the last time my dad was able to be in my corner to coach me, and I wore his wrestling shoes he wore his senior year.”
What made you a good wrestler? Did you have a favorite, or “go-to” move?
“I think what made me a good wrestler was my teammates, my coaches, and having God by my side to keep my safe from all injuries and everything else. Also, all the extra help that I was blessed with. I had a strong mindset always which I think that also helped.
“My go-to move is called a ‘bar half.’ That move helped me get 85 percent of my pins. I learned it in kids club, and I loved it so I strived to perfect it. My coaches would even let me teach it at practice, which was funny to me.
Who has had the most influence on your wrestling career?
“The person who had the most influence on my career is my dad. He accomplished so much when he wrestled and I wanted to do the same. I wanted to be known just like he was. He always pushed me to be my best self, whether it was giving me pep talks or watching my film to fix my mistakes. My mom (Ellie) also had a huge impact, she sacrificed so much for me so it made me work that much harder to reward her sacrifices.”
Were you involved with any other sports in high school? Were you involved in any non-athletic activities or clubs?
“I also played soccer in high school. I started freshman year to keep me in shape for wrestling, but I had excellent coaches who I will always be thankful for, Erik Poggi and Jayce Broussard, who made me love the game. They had a huge impact on me by always teaching me different ways to overcome challenges or just pushing me to be a better person, on and off the field.”
Are you still involved with the sport, or do you hope to get involved again in the future? In what role?
“Once the season starts up, I hope to help out at practices and tournaments at the high school. I have teammates there, and the younger classes coming up that I want to give back to.”
What advice would you give high school wrestlers?
“My advice would be, ‘Looking back now that it’s over, it was all worth it. All the sacrifices I made, all the hard work I put in to reach my goals. You only get so much time and when that time is over you don’t want to have any regrets of you should’ve done this or did that. Leave it all out there and I promise in the end it’s all worth it.”
Bein finished with an overall career 152-29, with 115 pins. He was the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference champion, Western Brown sectional tournament champion and placed third in the Division II district tournament in 2023.