Let It Fly: Churchill’s Grady Kelts Has His Sights Set on the Podium

If you’ve ever watched Grady Kelts wrestle, you know there’s a good chance you’re about to see something exciting.

The Churchill High School sophomore from San Antonio isn’t interested in playing it safe. He’s aggressive, unpredictable, and more than willing to attempt the kind of big moves that can bring a crowd to its feet. Whether he’s attacking from his feet or scrambling through an unusual position, Kelts seems perfectly comfortable taking risks that other wrestlers might avoid.

And perhaps the most entertaining part of his approach is how much fun he appears to be having.

“I don’t really know,” Kelts said when asked where his high-flying style comes from. “I just kind of try things and they end up working for me. I just always try to stick to being aggressive and score points in any position.”

For Kelts, the willingness to take chances isn’t necessarily something he’s been taught. It’s simply how he likes to wrestle.

“I naturally like to take risks. It makes wrestling more fun.”

That combination of fearlessness and enjoyment has helped make Kelts one of the more intriguing young wrestlers to watch in Texas.

As a freshman last season, Kelts put together an impressive campaign at Churchill, advancing to the UIL Class 6A State Championships and finishing just one victory short of earning a state medal. It was a strong debut on the high school stage, but the narrow miss left him hungry for more.

“I was very disappointed with that loss,” Kelts said. “Ever since, I’ve used it as something that drives me.”

Rather than dwelling on the disappointment, Kelts turned it into motivation.

“All summer and off season I wrestled every day and I used it to motivate me. Especially when I have a tough practice, that experience motivates me not to quit. Because if I quit, I will miss that podium again.”

His response was an impressive spring and summer competing in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.

Kelts captured Texas state titles in both styles, then continued testing himself against strong competition outside the state. He won the 16U Greco-Roman title at the Southern Plains Regional Championships in Oklahoma City and placed third in freestyle at the same event. He also made a strong showing at the prestigious Fargo national championships, gaining valuable experience against some of the country’s top young wrestlers.

The offseason success provided further evidence that Kelts is developing into a serious contender on the Texas high school wrestling scene.

But the story of how he got here stretches well beyond his freshman season.

A Family Built Around Wrestling

For Kelts, wrestling has always been a family affair.

His father serves in the military, and the family has moved several times over the years. Kelts began wrestling while living in Minnesota before continuing his development in Georgia and eventually settling into the wrestling community in San Antonio.

With wrestlers on both sides of his family, the sport was introduced to him at an early age. That doesn’t mean he immediately fell in love with it.

“I started wrestling because my dad made me wrestle starting in Kindergarten,” Kelts said. “At first I absolutely hated wrestling but then I started to win and the grind that it takes to win made me addicted to it.”

One of the most important influences throughout that journey has been his older brother, Declan.

A two-time UIL state placer at Churchill, Declan has been much more than a successful wrestler for his younger brother to look up to. He’s been a training partner, teammate, mentor, and constant source of motivation.

“It’s always been good for him to push me to go to practice and work harder,” Kelts said. “He has played the most important role in me being successful. It has been really fun wrestling him and going to tournaments with him since I was six years old.”

That relationship has helped shape the younger Kelts’ approach to training. Declan is the person pushing him to get to practice, even on the days when he’s tired, sore, or simply doesn’t feel like putting in the work.

The support extends across generations.

Kelts credits his grandfather in Pennsylvania as another major influence. Despite living far from San Antonio, his grandfather regularly travels to the family’s biggest tournaments. When he can’t make the trip, he follows the action live on FloWrestling.

He also credits his parents, who have been in the stands supporting him throughout his wrestling career.

For a family that has moved across the country and spent countless hours traveling to practices and tournaments, wrestling has provided something constant.

Getting Better at NB Elite

While his family helped build his foundation, Kelts has also benefited from the competitive training environment at NB Elite Wrestling Club.

The San Antonio-area club has become a significant part of his development, providing the opportunity to work alongside talented wrestlers who challenge him to improve.

Among those influences is Micah McCaskill, a Churchill High School teammate whom Kelts has looked up to since joining the program.

Kelts remembers attending his first high school wrestling practice during the summer before seventh grade. Wrestling McCaskill and the older high school athletes was an eye-opening experience.

He quickly learned just how much room he had to improve.

“There are levels to this and there are always bigger fish and you want to chase and strive to be the bigger fish,” Kelts said.

The experience helped establish a mindset that continues to influence his approach to training.

McCaskill remains one of his biggest examples of what it means to work hard.

“He is the guy [who] outworks everyone in the room and I try to model my work ethic after his fanaticism about the sport,” Kelts said.

Kelts also credits coaches Brian Hawkins and Steve Horton with teaching him important lessons that extend beyond technique.

Hawkins has emphasized the importance of fundamentals and relentless effort, teaching Kelts that hard work can overcome natural talent and athleticism.

Horton has helped him understand the importance of balancing wrestling with the rest of his life, reminding him that high school should also be about enjoying the experience.

That balance seems particularly important for someone who finds so much joy in competing.

Kelts also appreciates the relationships that come with being part of a wrestling club. He singled out NB Elite training partner Tristyn Ulloa for keeping practices fun and bringing positive energy into the room.

This spring, Kelts traveled to the NHSCA championships in Virginia Beach with Ulloa and McCaskill, an experience he remembers as one of the most enjoyable of his wrestling career.

For Kelts, the friendships, road trips, and memories are part of what makes all those hours on the mat worthwhile.

Pulling the Trigger

There’s an interesting contrast between the way Kelts approaches wrestling and the preparation that goes into making his style successful.

On the mat, he looks like someone willing to try just about anything. Behind the scenes, he’s surrounded by people who constantly emphasize discipline, fundamentals, and hard work.

The result is a wrestler who understands that taking risks doesn’t have to mean wrestling recklessly.

Kelts believes one of his biggest strengths is simply being willing to attack when others hesitate.

“I’m not afraid to attack,” he said. “You can’t win if you don’t shoot. A lot of people are afraid to shoot and pull that trigger.”

That philosophy helps explain why his matches can be so entertaining.

While many young wrestlers become cautious in big moments, Kelts wants to keep scoring, keep attacking, and keep putting pressure on his opponents.

He also believes that enjoying the competition helps eliminate the anxiety that can hold wrestlers back.

“I don’t have any nerves, I just want to go out there and have fun. That’s what the sport of wrestling is about.”

It’s a mindset that younger wrestlers could learn from.

Wrestling is a demanding sport, and the pressure to win can sometimes cause athletes to become hesitant or forget why they started competing in the first place.

Kelts provides a reminder that there’s nothing wrong with being aggressive, experimenting with new techniques, and enjoying the experience along the way.

That doesn’t mean winning isn’t important to him. His response to falling short at the state tournament makes it clear that he’s serious about reaching the podium.

But he doesn’t believe chasing those goals should come at the expense of loving the sport.

A Bigger Stage Awaits

Entering his sophomore season, Kelts has plenty of reasons to be confident.

He’s already experienced the pressure of competing at the UIL State Championships. He’s spent the offseason developing his skills in freestyle and Greco-Roman. And he’s tested himself against national-level competition while continuing to train with some of the best wrestlers in the San Antonio area.

With three years of high school eligibility remaining, there’s still plenty of time for Kelts to build on what he’s accomplished.

But regardless of how many medals he wins, he already knows what kind of impression he wants to leave on the people watching him wrestle.

“When people watch me wrestle I want them to notice that I just get after it and that I’m not afraid to push the pace,” Kelts said. “I also want them to notice the smile on my face and know that there is no place I’d rather be.”

For a wrestler whose style is built around attacking, taking chances, and embracing the unexpected, that’s a fitting way to approach the sport.

And it’s a message Kelts hopes other wrestlers will take to heart.

“The key to success in wrestling is having fun and loving the grind,” Kelts said. “If you can do both those things the sport will take you as far as you’re willing to go.”