Coronavirus ended Josh Hokit’s wrestling career. Here’s hoping there’s a proper farewell

Josh Hokit was supposed to be finished with wrestling this weekend. That, he always knew.

The Fresno State heavyweight was bound for the U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis, where sometime Friday or Saturday, he would strap on a singlet for the billionth time and win or lose his way out of the NCAA Championships.

That was the plan. Wrestlers always have a plan. What Hokit didn’t plan for, and none of us did, was for a coronavirus outbreak to break his plan.

His wrestling career ended over a week ago, lounging on his couch, scrolling through his smartphone’s Twitter feed. The final wrestling tournament of his career, one that began in a steam box room in Wasco and vaulted him to the Clovis High powerhouse and onto the rebirthed Fresno State program, was canceled.

There would be no final match, no repeat as a top-five All-American, no untying of his laces and leaving his shoes at the center circle in a wrestling ritual for last hurrahs.

Hokit understands why they had to do this. He’s hunkered down, sheltered in place, with the rest of us Californians.

That doesn’t mean this doesn’t hurt, because it should hurt. He spent a lifetime of working too hard, eating not enough, bleeding more than he should, and pushing his limits too far, to have it end on his couch.

Hokit: ‘Thinking about where I started’

It’s just, well, we’ll let him tell the rest of the story.

“I was watching a bunch of news on Twitter, and I knew it was just a matter of time before they canceled the whole thing.

“It was tough. I was just sitting in my room. I was, like, thinking about where I started, not being able to finish the way I wanted to with being another All-American.

“I remember going to the youth practices in Wasco. My dad would take us around 5 or 6 at night. Just going over there, just wrestling, all the memories. In those days, my dad would take us all over the country. He just wanted us to be the best.

“He’d drive me and my brother (Isaiah) sometimes four hours, just to go to a practice. There’s a lot of sacrifice in this sport. I just sat there, thinking about all of that.

“I just thought, ‘It’s over, just like that, I’m never going to compete again at this sport. It’s hard to believe this is happening like this, but …’

“You really find yourself when adversity hits. That’s what the sport of wrestling teaches you. When you get the outcome you weren’t really looking for, it defines you how you come back. At my last tournament, I lost to a guy I shouldn’t have lost to, but I battled back and took third. It reminded me what I’m made of.

“I’m glad how I finished.”

What’s ahead

We understand this isn’t the end of the world. We know that when people are hooked up to ventilators and dying of coronavirus, Hokit is just thrilled to be alive and well. We all should know by now this thing is too contagious for sports – just ask the NBA, where Kevin Durant got infected wearing street clothes on the Brooklyn Nets bench.

That doesn’t mean we have to like it. We hope the NCAA lets seniors get another year back, even if Hokit has already decided to give up wrestling so he can pursue a career in the NFL.

We don’t know if he’ll make a training camp roster. We don’t even know if there will be a training camp. All we know is, when this crisis finally ends, we’re pulling for Hokit and everyone like him to fight for the proper farewell they deserve.

This story was originally published March 21, 2020 at 12:17 PM.