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McGehee finds home with Highlands Ranch wrestling

Connor McGehee, a sophomore at Highlands Ranch High School, has found a sense of belonging with the wrestling team.

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — The first sport Connor McGehee tried had a bigger impact than he could have imagined.

McGehee, a sophomore at Highlands Ranch High School, used to get made fun of for his weight. So he decided to use it as motivation and joined the wrestling team.

"I've seen him lose plenty of times, and he's still smiling," Highlands Ranch coach Justin Kast said. "(He was) the beginner of the beginner, not knowing anything about wrestling."

But McGehee never gave up.

Eventually, the self-proclaimed former "fat kid" built muscle mass and developed wrestling technique. But most importantly, he was making friends on the team.

The now-skilled heavyweight recently captured his first-ever win on the JV team, and was welcomed with a huge celebration from his teammates.

"It was the best thing ever," McGehee said. "Even one of the teachers stopped me in the hall and said 'Hey, you're Connor, right?'"

Connor McGehee -- the big man on campus.

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