CLEVELAND — Bryce Meredith’s look is distinct, but it’s not unchanging. At this year’s Big 12 Championships, for example, the top-ranked 141-pound wrestler in the country’s hair was bleached back to the blond that signifies it’s time for him to shine on the national stage.
In the second round of this week’s NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Meredith added a new accessory. The feisty, jabbing style of Iowa’s Vincent Turk forced Meredith to finish the match with a white bandage wrapped around his head, a dot blood of blood seeping through the middle of his forehead.
Saturday, though, Meredith can add to his ensemble the look he’s been trying to perfect ever since returning to his home state as a sophomore.