With Jore Volk, successful wrestling is a mindset.

That doesn't sound earth-shattering especially for a young man who is a world champion as well as the most successful wrester in the Cowboy program.

But the mental aspect is the biggest focus for the talented sophomore who enters this weekend's Big 12 Championships as the five seed at 125 pounds, the Pokes highest-seeded wrestler. He may be wrestling in the most competitive weight class at the event.  Competition begins Saturday at the BOK Center in Tulsa.  It concludes on Sunday.

Volk came to Wyoming with some big-time credentials after winning the U20 World Freestyle Championships before he even became a Cowboy.  He had just completed his senior year of high school at Lakeville (Minn) North. 

By his own admission he has plenty of areas to improve as a collegiate wrestler. But he has worked the hardest is at the mental aspect of the sport.

"I've really worked hard on being more mentally ready," Jore says.  "My club coach once told me when you take the mat you have to believe you are the greatest wrestler in the world. This year I've put tons of focus on that."

Even though he was the best in the world, he's still had to work hard on that. "It's amazing how much your mindset affects you," he says. "It's true in any sport, but when you are on a mat, and it's just you against him, you have to believe in yourself.  I'm putting a lot more into that mental part. But at the same time you've got to have a balance. It is a game, and you don't want to make it more than that.  You can't get too caught up in it, so I have to also tell myself that it's supposed to be fun.

"While it's on my mind the day of a match, I don't really start getting mentally ready until after weigh-in. That's the time when I really start thinking about my match.  I just have to keep telling myself that I'm the best in the world, I'm the best guy on the mat. Our coaches here have really helped me with this.  Having coaches who I can talk to is a big help.  If I have doubts, I talk through it. I think I'm getting better at it."

That's for sure.  In his second season as a Cowboy he has become a better wrestler.  He owns a 5-3 record against the Big 12 bracket, and is 7-6 against ranked opponents.  He went 19-6 during the season and was ranked as high as No 4 nationally. He has beaten some of the country's top wrestlers in his weight class.

Jore says he's been happy with how his sophomore season has been going, but it's certainly not close to where he wants to be. "As a freshman, I had no idea where I really stood with the better wrestlers in the Big 12," he says.  "This season has been interesting because I'm learning where I'm at, where I stand with the rest of the guys in my weight.  Now I have a better idea and that's been really helpful for my training, preparation, and just how to wrestle. I know this, I have so much still to learn about the sport and competing."

"There's no doubt he believes in himself a lot more than he did as a freshman," says Head Coach Mark Branch. He has a much better understanding of where he is as a wrestler. I think he truly believes he can beat every guy at his weight. As a freshman, he was overthinking things which is normal. But I think he's now of the mind to just go out and wrestle, and let it fly.

"He's also done a better job in his preparation, how he trains, getting the right amount of sleep, concentrating on his studies and his diet.  He's eliminated a lot of his stress.  It's those things that may seem small at first, but maturity tells you how important they are."

According to Branch, the Cowboy program recruited Volk early on in the process.  "We got on him early, and even though he was highly recruited we felt good about our relationship with him," Branch says. "Obviously his stock went up big time after he won the Worlds, and we were a little worried.  Even after he took his visit here, we couldn't really tell, he's a pretty quiet guy. While we felt really good about our relationship with him, and about his commitment to Wyoming, you never really know for sure."

While he may not have verbalized it as much, he was sold on Wyoming when he made his visit.

"I was recruited by quite a few schools," Jore says, "but when I made the visit to Wyoming, and saw how beautiful it was, and how great the facilities were, I was sold.  Plus I really felt good about my relationship with the coaches."

It didn't hurt that he is an outdoors kind of guy.  He loves to snowboard—he makes it clear AFTER the season. In the summer he can be found on a lake fishing. But last summer he got hooked on golf, and admits he played nearly every day. Did he get good at it?

"Let's just say I have some good days and I have some bad days.  But I'll tell you it's harder than wrestling.  Just when I think I might have it figured out, it goes very, very bad. It's just a very frustrating sport."  Most of us would agree with you on that Mr. Volk.

Not many young athletes have the opportunity to experience what Volk did during his run to the World Championship. "It was the thrill of a lifetime.  Here we were in Sofia, Bulgaria, wrestling against guys from all over the world.  I had four matches there.  My first match was against an Iranian, and to win the tournament, I had to beat a wrestler from Kazakhstan.  It was super cool. It was such a great experience, and I learned a different style of wrestling. They were more laid back and technique-focused.  Our style is quicker and more attack mode.  

"It was a really terrific experience. After it was over the four medalists had to drug test.  None of us could speak the other's language.  So we sat in the waiting room and try to talk to each other. We would say something and then use our phones to translate.  That's how we communicated.  We just laughed and had a great time. It was so much fun."

Volk comes from a very athletic family.  His dad was a collegiate wrestler and his brother also wrestled.  His sister was a gymnast.  "Not much height in our family," he says.   He started wrestling at the age of 10, and started talking it seriously in middle school.  During his freshman and sophomore years of high school he wrestled at 106.  As a junior he wrestled at 120, and 132 as a senior. "I knew it was what I would do in college," he says.

Volk plans to graduate with a business degree in 2026, and he wants to keep wrestling through the Olympic cycle in 2028.  "I would love to make the Olympic team."

When wrestling is over, however, he wants to be a coach either on the collegiate level, or operating a club team. "I've talked to my coaches Branch and McCade (assistant coach, Ford) about it.  I love the sport of wrestling and I believe I would love being a coach. I want that to work out.

All he has to do is set his mind to it and he'll be a good one.