From his early days on the mats in Newtown through his time at Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., William Henckel has had quite a wrestling career. And there stands to be a lot more success ahead as this standout grappler looks to make his mark at the collegiate level and beyond.

The name may be familiar; his dad, Bill, won a State Championship for Newtown High back in 1997. His mom, Tina (Porco) Henckel, also graduated from NHS, and grandparents Mike and Silvia Porco still live in Sandy Hook. William Henckel’s wrestling roots began in Newtown as the Southbury native learned his early skills on the mats in town and went on to become a five-time New England Champion while competing for the Newtown Youth Wrestling Association.

Now, he is ranked No. 2 at 175 pounds in the National High School Wrestling Rankings and is No. 7 pound for pound (across all weight classes).

This past winter Henckel won his second Beast of the East title, going 15-0 in the tournament. He was second place at the Fargo USA National Championships, runner-up in the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, champion of the Shorty Hitchcock Memorial Classic, and champ of the Ironman Wrestling Tournament. Henckel took home the Ironman Outstanding Wrestler Award.

In his junior year, Henckel won the National Prep Wrestling Championship at 175 pounds, his first prep national title, contributing to Blair Academy’s strong team performance. He won the Beast of the East tourney in his sophomore and junior years as well. He was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Beast of the East competition as a sophomore. In 2021, as a rising freshman, Henckel won the USA Wrestling 16U National Championship in Fargo, North Dakota in men’s freestyle at 145 pounds. In the following years he earned fourth place at 152 and runner-up in the 160 division at the national event.

Henckel attended Blair due to its reputation and for the potential to advance in his career by proving himself against the best wrestlers around.

“Our schedule is probably the hardest in the country,” Henckel said. “It’s tough but if you want to be the best that’s what you’re willing to do.”

Being away from family was a bit challenging at first but Henckel and his family have adjusted and the transition was made as smooth as possible by how welcoming Blair Academy has been, Henckel said.

“Wrestling has profoundly influenced my life, teaching me discipline, mental toughness, and the importance of hard work. The sport has provided me with a framework to approach challenges both on and off the mat, fostering a mindset of continuous improvement and unwavering determination,” Henckel wrote in a brief biography submitted to earn a New England Youth Scholarship Award.

“I am eternally grateful for all of the relationships and opportunities that wrestling has given me,” Henckel wrote in that biography. “I hope that I can lead by example and support the next generation of wrestlers who love this sport as much as I do, helping them achieve their dreams.”

Henckel will continue his career at NCAA wrestling juggernaut Penn State, which has won 12 of the last 15 NCAA Championships.

“I’m super excited,” he said of joining the Nittany Lions. Going to Penn State is the second big step in his career. Henckel has aspirations of winning national, world, and Olympic titles.

“Will always works hard, and he is going to have a lot of success, especially at Penn State. Consistency is the name of the game for Will, but it’s also important for Will to continue to have an open mind to learning new skills and systems. He will always bring the fight and grit, and he will most certainly face challenges along the way. Staying the course and staying focused on his goals is what will allow Will to reach his goals,” said Ross Gitomer, his coach at Blair.

“William continues to improve in this sport because he absolutely hates losing, and he always wants to be ahead of the curve. Will is incredibly physical — if the match becomes a physical match, that bodes extremely well for Will,” Gitomer added. “This year in particular, William has truly enjoyed the moments of training and competition probably more than previous years. His motivation and work ethic has also come from his focus on his team and working each day to be a leader on this team. We are really proud of Will for the young man he has become. I am probably most proud of how he has learned to handle his emotions over these last four years. This is an area he has improved on dramatically.”

Although Henckel is far removed from Newtown Youth Wrestling, the program still holds a special place in his heart. After all, it was here that he first found his passion and enthusiasm for grappling. Chris Bray, who has been involved with both youth and high school wrestling in Newtown, and is currently head coach at the high school, coached Henckel for a couple of seasons when he was very young. Bray was a big part of Henckel’s introduction to wrestling but noted that many other coaches played key roles in his success.

In third grade Henckel began training under Coach Blair Tugman at Team Tugman Wrestling Club in Branford, and he worked under the direction of esteemed coaches such as Cory Cooperman and Jeff Buxton.

“It’s still very amazing to watch his progress unfold and I look forward to watching William compete on the biggest stage. I’m very happy for The Henckels — they’re great people and must be very proud,” Bray said.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.