Over and over, Lowell junior Cayden Yuran has heard the phrase and repeated it back.

To himself. To his coach. To himself again.

“Basic fundamentals win big matches,” they say.

After qualifying for the state meet at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the first time, Yuran is confident that mantra will carry him on the biggest stage of his wrestling career.

“I’m ready,” he said. “I’m practicing well, getting better, pushing the gas tank. I have to go in there and not be nervous. I have to be confident, go in there hard and try to get that dub. I have to have a refuse-to-lose mindset.”

Of course, that’s easier said than done, and Yuran knows it. But he has turned things around after last season, when he suffered meniscus tears in both knees and other nagging injuries that led to results he considered below his standards.

Lowell’s Cayden Yuran, left, trains with teammate Charlie Shaffer during a practice on campus on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune)

Yuran (28-8) is ranked No. 13 in the 190-pound weight class statewide, and his postseason surge includes a regional title and second place at semistate, where he lost 10-9 to Chesterton senior Lucas Anderson.

So Lowell senior Evan Stanley, who is ranked No. 1 at 138 pounds, has confidence in Yuran.

“Cayden should place,” Stanley said. “I’m excited to watch him wrestle. He’s got a fun style. He’s a little bit of a wild man, and I think that’ll be a good thing for him.

“He’s due, and he’s been wrestling better in the postseason. I’m excited to see him come Friday night.”

Yuran and Stanley are two of the team-record seven wrestlers making the trip to Indianapolis to represent the Red Devils. Coach Kevin English said Yuran is “feeling good, looking good and ready to wrestle,” but his message to Yuran and the entire group remains the same.

“We’ve talked about just attacking the six minutes in front of us,” English said. “That’s all we’re looking at. If you win Friday night, you place, and everything beyond that is gravy. Obviously, some of these guys have bigger goals, but six minutes, that’s all we’re looking for.

“But I feel confident we can get some medalists, and I feel confident in Cayden that he can get it done.”

What’s more, Yuran will do it with a smile, and he may talk opponents’ ears off too.

“If they know me through wrestling, they probably know I’m a social butterfly,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s all just a game. Of course I take it seriously, and I’m locked in, but I’m not stressing over losses. I’m not going into my matches stressed out. I’m calm with it.”

Lowell’s Cayden Yuran, from left, Evan Stanley and Kameron Hazelett jog around the room during a practice on campus on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune)

English considers that mindset both a blessing and a curse, maybe even something that occasionally holds Yuran back. But as long as it works, English figures there’s no reason to change it. In fact, he welcomes it.

“He’s just that happy, goofy kid that likes to have fun and enjoys the sport,” English said. “He’s always smiling. Sometimes I have to yell at him to refocus. But in reality, he’s focused. He’s just a happy kid.

“So I think that’s something cool that he brings to the table. He can always bring a laugh to somebody, too, especially in intense moments.”

Expect intense moments at the state meet because Yuran loves to win, and he’s within reach of the goal he set many months ago.

“I wanted to place at state this year,” he said, “and we’re on the way to it.”

Noah Poser is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/lowell-high-school-wrestling-cayden-yuran/