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Top student becomes teacher at prestigious wrestling camp
Z. Gant
Effingham County's Zebrandon Gant is coming off an impressive freshman campaign at Newberry where he was named the South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year.

For Zebrandon Gant, life as a wrestler keeps better and better. The former Effingham County state champion and current Newberry College athlete has spent his summer under the tutelage of legendary Jeff Jordan.

Jordan, along with his three sons, run a wrestling camp in Ohio. Jeff wrestled at Wisconsin, two of his boys are former Ohio State grapplers one one is currently with the Buckeyes.

The Jordan camp is the go-to stop for new and veteran wrestlers looking to get stronger on the mat. It has garnered the attention of some of the top wrestlers in the country as people come from far and wide to gain access to the legendary coach who lost only once during his entire high school career. 

“When I got to wrestling my freshman season, coach Nico Guggino suggested I go to the camp,” Gant said. “I came up here, I really liked it and it got me right. It got me where I needed to be in a short period of time.” 

Although he’s serving as an instructor, Gant has been able to get in on the action a few times. He respects the expertise of Jordan, a two-time NCAA All-American. It’s something Gant doesn’t take for granted. 

“As he is teaching the kids, I am helping the kids,” Gant said. “Not only am I helping, but I am observing as well. Coach Jordan is tough on technique. He makes sure you have that down before anything.”

Off the mat, Gant has been enjoying the luxury of fellowshipping with a family that has become famous for their wrestling history, knowledge of the sport and commitment to sharing what they love to do with the community.

“The chemistry we have as a staff is amazing,” Gant said. “I get to be around those guys and they are pretty entertaining. They are fun people. 

“They are very caring.” 

Gant is coming off an impressive freshman campaign at Newberry where he was named the South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year. He went 23-8 overall and 6-0 in conference action.

As he prepares to go into his second year at Newberry, Gant is looking to avoid a sophomore slump and continue his dominant run through the conference and beyond with the skills he’s learned this summer. 

“There were several things I needed to tighten up and Coach Jordan helped me work on that,” Gant said.