JaQwun Stinson finishes career strong with GHSA wrestling title

JaQwun Stinson just wanted to be a better wrestler than he was a year ago.

The Howard senior battled through a shoulder injury his junior year and ended up with a third-place finish in the GHSA Class AAAA tournament after a second-place finish his sophomore year. And he achieved his goal by finishing his senior year by winning a state championship in the 195-pound weight class. Stinson finished with a 25-0 record and is The Telegraph’s All-Middle Georgia Co-Wrestler of the Year.

Stinson moved to Macon from Michigan three years ago and quickly has made his mark at Howard as a football player and wrestler. But he has had to endure some difficult obstacles the past 18 months, the biggest being the death of his mother, Tracy, who passed away during Christmas break of his junior year.

“Since my mom passed away, I have devoted myself to winning a state championship because I wanted to make her proud,” Stinson said. “It has been very hard for me, and I think about her every day. I remember she would never miss any of my matches, so it was a lot different looking up and not seeing her. But I just knew that she would want me to go out and do my best.

“I won the state championship and was glad I could represent Howard High School in such a great way, but really truly, I won it for my mom.”

Stinson was also a standout running back for the football team but saw his season cut short this year because of a knee injury. The injury probably cost the Huskies their first trip to the state playoffs, which was very frustrating for Stinson.

“That last loss of the season to Baldwin made me cry,” Stinson said. “I missed out on being on the field even at practice, and I was like ‘Why me?’ for a long time. But the more I talked to the coaches, I realized it was just another life experience that will make me stronger in the long run.”

Stinson is still looking for a college home where he would love to play football and wrestle. His wrestling head coach and football assistant coach Adam Gillhouse has no doubt about Stinson’s ability to do so.

“Oh yes, he is a special kind of athlete,” Gillhouse said. “On paper, he isn’t the biggest or strongest and probably not the fastest guy on the field or on the wrestling mat, but he is a difference-maker. He is a fierce competitor, and that’s what makes him special. I have no doubt that he can excel at both sports in college.”

When Stinson was made aware that he won the wrestler of the year award, along with Torrez Finney from Jones County, Stinson’s smile became a little bit bigger.

“I know Torrez is a great guy, and he wrestles at 195, too,” Stinson said. “We have been on the mat together but never really live. I think if we ever did wrestle against each other, it would be a great match.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 4:02 PM with the headline "JaQwun Stinson finishes career strong with GHSA wrestling title."