TEMPE -- Zahid Valencia arrived home in southern California this week, looking forward to a well-earned, albeit short break. Over the past three years, the Sun Devil sophomore-to-be, has rolled right from his high school and collegiate wrestling seasons into the junior world championships, and then right back into the school year.
It's been a break-neck, no-break training pace -- almost Olympic in scope -- and that was by design. Valencia is unwavering in his goals. He wants to be an NCAA champion, a world champion and an Olympic champion. Last week in Tampere, Finland, he took a step in that direction.