After sitting out last season for disciplinary reasons, Jeffersonville senior Evon Russell has returned to the wrestling mats in a big way this year.

Russell, who wrestles at 119 pounds, currently has a 38-3 record during the 2005-06 campaign. After starting the season splitting his first four matches, he went on a 31-match winning streak. One of his three losses was against Beech Grove’s Ethan Harris, who won the 112-pound IHSAA state championship last year.

He won his first Jeff Classic title last month and finished undefeated in the eight-team Mt. Vernon Turkey Classic in November.

Russell is pleased with his performance this year, but he says there is lots of room for improvement.

“It’s been OK, but I could’ve done better. I’m not satisfied. I could never be satisfied. I won’t be satisfied until I win state,” Russell said. “I think I have done a good job so far, but I still have a lot to improve on. I’m just trying to have a good season.”

Russell showed gradual improvement in his wrestling technique during his first two years at Jeff. After going 7-13 his freshman season, he built a 31-17 record as a sophomore and qualified for the regional for the first time.

But during his junior year, he got into a fight at school and was not allowed to compete on the wrestling team.

Russell thinks the year off helped motivate him to hit the mats even harder this season.

“I knew I was far behind, so I had to do double the work from what everyone else was doing,” Russell said. “It was kind of hard on my body, but I had to push myself. I had my family in my corner. They made sure I was doing the right things and eating the right foods.

“This year, I’m dedicated, I’m motivated, and I’m going for the gold.”

Jeff coach Danny Struck is proud of the way Russell has responded from the adversity he faced during his junior year.

“The other day he looked at me and said, ‘That was the best thing that has ever happened to me. It made me more mature.’ I couldn’t be more proud of him for saying that because he really meant it,” Struck said. “I’m very proud of him for how he handles it very maturely.”

Even though he could not compete at the high school level as a junior, Russell kept his skills sharp by wrestling in several club tournaments last offseason.

In 2005, he was the Kentucky freestyle and Greco-Roman state champion and placed third in the Indiana Greco-Roman state finals. Russell was also a member of the Indiana State Wrestling Association Greco-Roman and freestyle national team. He finished ninth in the freestyle nationals.

Russell said the offseason tournaments enabled him to get stronger physically and mentally.

“It showed me how to be mean and physical not in a rough way, but in a more physical way,” Russell said. “I’m already quick, so I got me more strength. When you get speed and strength, you are very unstoppable nine times out of 10. It helped me on my strength, my footwork and my conditioning.”

Russell has several goals for the rest of the season. He wants to win his first sectional, regional and semistate championships and qualify for his first IHSAA State Finals. Russell will also try to win his first Hoosier Hills Conference title Saturday at Bedford North Lawrence. His ultimate goal is to win a state championship.

“Winning sectional and regional are going to be very hard to do,” said Russell, who hopes to wrestle at the collegiate level. “I’ve got to make sure I’m on top of my ‘A’ game and to never let my guard down. I’ve got to treat it like a normal match. It would be pretty awesome to win sectional, regional and semistate. I want to be state champion, but I know right now I’m not quite there. But I’m almost there.”

Struck thinks Russell has the potential to do well in the postseason.

“His chances are good,” Struck said. “He will be seeded No. 1 at sectional. He’ll have a really good regional draw, so we hope he’s going to be regional champ. His chances are above average.”