COLUMBIA, Mo In a phone call with his mom, Aeoden Sinclair said he was struggling to move on from a question in time when studying for the Law School Admission Test.
She was like, You know youve always been a little bit of a perfectionist, Sinclair said.
The 2024 Milton High graduate didnt disagree with that assessment. Even when he used to play video games, Sinclair wouldnt put a game down until it was fully beaten.
Its that kind of mentality that has allowed the Red Hawk turned Missouri Tiger to be as successful as he has been.
For the Red Hawks, he finished his career as a three-time WIAA state champion and four-time conference champion. After a redshirt season at the University of Missouri in which he went 2-3 in attached matches Sinclair put together an impressive redshirt freshman campaign.
The Edgerton native totaled a 36-2 overall record, took home multiple team awards, won 26 matches in a row and finished as the Big 12 184-pound champion and NCAA All-American.
It was good, Sinclair said, reflecting on this past season. I mean, I didnt get to achieve the goals that I set for myself. I came up a little bit short, but it gave me a lot of opportunities to learn and grow and develop as a wrestler.
Even with all those accolades, Sinclair is motivated to improve and turn his third-place finish at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships into a first-place finish.
Since I was a kid, I wanted to be a four-time national champion, Sinclair said. I didnt win NCAA this year; I got third. So I came up a little short, but I feel like next year is going to go well for me, Sinclair said.
Sinclair attributed multiple factors to his success: great coaching, good health, great teammates and a great family.
Just a lot of support from the people around me has allowed me to follow this wrestling thing If you asked people, I think they would say I wrestle a lot. Who knows maybe some people think I work really hard. Others, maybe not so much.
Discipline has been another factor. Being in college, Sinclair is naturally surrounded by people who want to have a good time.
Sinclair stays focused. Even when hes craved a sweet treat recently, hes turned down chocolate chips.
I was like, I want a sweet treat. But then I was like, ahh, you probably dont need it. And then I walked out. I walked out before I second-guessed myself, Sinclair said.
And that one choice of discipline has carried me through the rest of the day.
Sinclair is wrestling in the 2026 Final X on Friday, June 19 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. He turned down the chocolate chips to stay locked in.
Wrestling in a true-third match, Sinclair will have the chance to qualify for 2026 U.S. Senior World Team as its No. 3 athlete.
For me, I feel like having another competition is beneficial because it forces me to dial in on my wrestling, but its just fun. Another fun trip with the coach, Sinclair said.
Parker Keckeisen, a Glendale native and 2024 NCAA 184-pound champion, is Sinclairs opponent.
Sinclair says Keckeisen is a great competitor and that hes expecting to fight for six minutes.
I think its another great competitor, another opportunity to get out there and brawl, Sinclair said.