Korbin Meink has been a part of more championship teams than most wrestlers. Winning four team state titles and two Southern Conference team titles in the past seven seasons is a glorious feat, however, Meink also holds the individual distinction of becoming a four-time state champ and two-time SoCon champ. Whether in high school or college, he has been dominating on the mat for quite some time. From Omaha to Buies Creek, this is Meink's wrestling biography.
 
High School
Nebraska is a state that has been rising in prowess over the past decade and churning out wrestlers able to compete on the national stage. Take former Iowa Hawkeye Thomas Gilman, for example. The four-time Nebraska State Champion earned NCAA All-American status three times, in addition to placing at the 2017 World Championships. He initially came out of Omaha Skutt Catholic High School, which is coincidentally the same high school as another recent four-time Nebraska State Champion, Korbin Meink.
 
With a 165-10 career record, Meink's high school career was impressive, to say the least. He started out with a bang his freshman year by bonusing his way to the NSAA Wrestling Championships and winning his first state title at 106 pounds. As he progressed over the next few seasons he jumped in weight from 106 to 113 to 120 pounds, and finally ending his last year of high school at 126 when he became the 27th four-time Nebraska State Champion. On his way to his four titles he also earned six falls and five majors at the state tournament. Now that's dominance.


 
Perhaps his most admirable performance was in his junior year. Meink sustained a hip injury in January 2016, and the doctors told him it would end his season. In fact, he couldn't even walk for a week. But he thirsted for that third state title, so he began to train and strengthen himself for months. He finally came back two weeks before the state championships, which he won, and even broke his school takedown record along the way. He was already shaping himself up to have that Fighting Camel mentality.
 
Also throughout his time in high school, Meink won the distinguished KC Stampede tournament, earned three freestyle and Greco-Roman state titles, and helped his team win four straight NSAA Class B Team State Championships.
 
College
Korbin committed to Campbell University because "[he] felt that [he] fit in well, not only their wrestling program, but also with academics" (NEWrestle). He wasted no time transitioning from high school to college and went straight to work on the mat. As a true freshman he competed at 125 pounds. Meink carried his dominance to the collegiate level by going 6-0 in SoCon dual meet competition and winning one third of his victories by bonus. During the 2017-18 season he also placed fourth at the Southern Scuffle, picking up a notable victory over Gabriel Townsell (Stanford) in the semis, and fifth at the Navy Classic, defeating Devin Schroder (Purdue) for 5th/6th. His first season unfortunately ended in injury at the SoCon Championships, where he injury defaulted and medically forfeited to two wrestlers he had beat earlier in the season. On a positive note, he earned SoCon Freshman of the Year and made the All-SoCon team.
 
The following season there was no stopping Meink on his way to a SoCon title. Just as his hip injury drove him forward in high school, he had a hunger to win a conference championship. He shut out Alonzo Allen (Chattanooga) and nearly majored De'Andre Swinson (Appalachian State) to win his first 125 pound SoCon title in his sophomore year and qualified for the national tournament.
 
His real shining moment came a few weeks later when he upended No. 18 Zeke Moisey (Nebraska) to advance to day two of the 2019 NCAA Championships. Though Moisey isn't originally from Nebraska, the matchup was a Nebraska native against a current Nebraska Cornhusker. Meink knew everyone from his home state would be watching, and he didn't disappoint; in fact, he won by a 5-4 decision and advanced in the tournament.
 

 
That brings us to this past 2019-20 season, which was arguably Meink's best and most thrilling one to date. Meink started out the year by placing at the Southeast Open and picking up some solid dual meet victories at Pitt and Ohio. He went 4-2 at the Navy Classic but rallied back hard by crushing his way through Reno Tournament of Champions, where he scored over 50 points and earned four victories by bonus. By beating Arizona State's Nick Raimo, he earned his first regular season title of his career. Meink finished the regular season with 19 wins, nearly half of them by bonus.
 
Heading into the 2020 postseason was going to be difficult for Meink since he had two losses to Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga) and one to Sean Carter (Appalachian State) earlier that season. But, he was not phased; in fact, he relished the idea of being the "underdog," even if he was the reigning champ. Conference weekend came, and a major decision over Jordan White (The Citadel) pushed Meink into the semifinals. After a hard-fought bout he defeated Carter 5-3, a win which set the stage for his finals match against Gutierrez. Meink defended his title with honor and aggression as he racked up points and won his second SoCon Championship Title with a 7-4 decision.
 
This qualified him for the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row. However, this tournament was special for him because he would get to wrestle in U.S. Bank Stadium, which is home to his favorite football team, the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately for him and all other NCAA Wrestlers, COVID-19 struck and the tournament was canceled.
 
With the way Meink has come alive in the limelight in the past, it's a shame to think of what could have happened at the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships. But there is good news. . .
 
Korbin Meink still has one year of eligibility left, and we look forward to watching him compete in search of his third SoCon title and the chance at earning All-American status.