- Order Now!!! VYPE Oklahoma Announces the 2020 Pigskin Preview
- VOTE NOW! Which North OK Area Track Athlete Should We Feature Next? – Presented by Law Firm of Boettcher, Devinney, Ingle, Wicker (Poll Ends 5/11)
- VYPE Magazine Announces the Shelter Insurance Mr. & Miss Basketball Oklahoma Award Winners – Bryce Thompson & Aaliyah Moore
- VOTE NOW! Which North OK Area Slowpitch Softball Player Should We Feature Next? – Presented by Law Firm of Boettcher, Devinney, Ingle, Wicker (Poll Ends 4/24)
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- Morrison’s Trevor Hughes – Athlete Spotlight Presented By Stillwater Medical Center Clinic of Morrison
- Pawnee’s Lexie Tatum – Athlete Spotlight Presented By Stillwater Medical Center Clinic of Pawnee
- Blackwell’s Tori Wood – Character Counts Presented By Blackwell Regional Hospital
- Blackwell’s Brett Lenon – Character Counts Presented By BancFirst Blackwell
Bristow’s Luke Fortney: Wrestling Spotlight Presented By Ortho Oklahoma
- Updated: February 12, 2020
By Derrick Smith
Perseverance is a key for any athlete that wants to be successful in their sport. But by continuing to put in the work and effort, even in the midst of failure, can make the victory that much sweeter.
Lucas Fortney says that his best moment of his career came after much work.
“The highlight of my short career definitely has to be been winning a state title,” he said. “I don’t know how many days that I ran in that hot wrestling room, sweating, and looking at a Who Will Be Next sign that was posted. I would always think to myself that I would be next and my goal finally came true.”
A senior at Bristow High School, Fortney is a two-sport athlete for the Pirates. He wrestles at 220 pounds for the wrestling team and on the football team, he lines up at middle linebacker. Lucas says that he began wrestling when he was five years old and started football in the first grade.
There have been people that have come in and out of Fortney’s life throughout the years. And while each of them touched Lucas’ life in one way or another, there is one person that has always been there for Lucas.
“My dad has been the biggest influences in my life,” he said. “For the longest time, it has been just he and I rocking and we are still rocking to this day.”
It has not been an easy road for Lucas to get where he is today, but he says that the work has been worth it.
“A lot of people have always said that I had a God given talent, which is true to some extent,” he said. “But when I was younger, I was horrible at everything I did. Then I started working harder and harder, making myself hate the taste of defeat and the taste of defeat made me want to work even harder.”