TORRINGTON – Eastern Wyoming College sophomore golfer Kash Kaufman missed the competition of wrestling.
As a result, he will be trading in the golf clubs for a wrestling singlet next school year.
“Golf was a really big sport for me, and I always thought I was done with wrestling,” Kaufman said. “It’s a tough sport, but the more I sat out of it, the more I missed it.”
During his time in high school, Kaufman excelled on the mat and on the golf course.
Kaufman was a three-time all-state golfer for the Torrington High School Blazers, with his best season in the fall of 2016 with a fourth-place finish at the state tournament.
Now after two years of playing golf for the EWC Lancers, Kaufman will return to the mat wrestling for the Minot State (N.D.) Beavers starting next season.
Kaufman started going back to wrestling practice, and that’s when it became obvious, he wanted to finish his college career out back on the wrestling mat.
“I missed the big wins and stuff,” Kaufman said. “I decided that for my final couple years of college, I wanted to go back to wrestling.”
He was a four-time state placer in wrestling with his best season coming in his junior year with a 43-5 record with a second-place finish in the 120-pound Class 2A weight class. As a Dogger, he compiled a 139-41 record between 2014-17 seasons.
When he started looking around for an opportunity to get back into wrestling, Minot State head coach Evan Forde offered him a visit.
“We went there, and it was a great school with great facilities,” Kaufman said. “It was very welcoming. It’s cold, but we can make it work with the way they operate. It’s a nice town with plenty to do. They have great lifting centers and wrestling rooms, really anything you can hope for.”
This season, Minot State finished 5-10 in duals and are sending two wrestlers to the NCAA Division II National Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, this weekend.
However, before moving on to North Dakota, Kaufman will finish the 2018-19 golf season with the Lancers as they look to lock up another Region IX championship this spring.
Once in North Dakota, Kaufman plans to major in business. He is the son of Jason and Misty Kaufman.
“I want to thank my family and friends that pushed me in high school to be good and be where I’m at,” Kaufman said. “I want to thank the coaches at Minot for the opportunity.”
