Dom Simonetta
Contributing Writer
“What stood out to me was his ability to compete with some of the best wrestlers in the country in his first season,” said Norton. “He has a unique talent and that became clear very early on when he beat a returning All-American from Elmhurst College in the second tournament of the year.”
Over the course of his freshman campaign, Binion managed to secure a convincing 35-8 record wrestling in the 133-pound weight class. Capping off an incredible initial season, he ultimately won the CCIW Championship match for his respective class.
While Binion may be laser-focused when he’s competing, he isn’t all work and no play.
“He’s our class clown,” said Norton. “He’s always making jokes and getting other people to laugh. He’s good at lightening the mood and keeping people smiling.”
“He’s not much of a vocal leader, he really leaves that up to the seniors, but his love of the sport is evident, and I think that tends to rub off on those around him, which is a good thing.”
Despite his noticeable success, Norton recognizes the hard work Binion has put into his approach in order to evolve as a wrestler.
“Layten was always very talented and relied a lot last season on things he had done in high school to be successful,” Norton said. “He’s more of a well-rounded wrestler now. He asks questions when we are working on things in practice and is at his best when he’s implementing those things in competition.”
Taking into consideration everything Binion has achieved so far, curiosity wonders how much further he can push himself to elevate his game to higher levels.
“Our coaching staff isn’t satisfied with those results, and neither is he,” said Norton. “He’s already turned out to be better than I envisioned when we were recruiting him, but the best is yet to come.”
“He knows his potential and still has some great things to accomplish before his time here is done. He’s already won a [CCIW] championship, and I expect him to win three more, making him just the third four-time conference champ in the history of our program.”
Binion currently posts an overall record of 15-4 for the Cardinals this season and was recently ranked No. 8 in the 141-pound weight class by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
“Beyond that, ultimately, my expectation for him is to win multiple NCAA Championships, and I know that’s his goal as well,” said Norton.
