VIRGINIA BEACH — When Nate Larsen’s older brother Ryan said his final goodbye to his younger sibling last Tuesday afternoon at Salt Lake City’s International Airport, there was that last little bit of teasing that only brothers can truly appreciate. Ryan told Nate, “If you go win nationals, I’ll stop calling you ‘Third’,” Ryan had said. “Third” is the nickname Ryan had given his kid brother after Nate finished third at this year’s 5A state wrestling tournament as a member of the Viewmont High wrestling team. Nate had captured the 103-pound state title as a sophomore (Ryan, then a senior also placed that same year). This year, however, at 112 lbs. Nate placed third and the teasing began.

So Ryan boarded a plane bound for Brazil where he will be a full-time LDS missionary for the next two years.

An hour later, Nate and his father Wayne caught a flight to Virginia where the younger Larsen boy would wrestle in the NHSCA National Wrestling Tournament.

The joke is now on Ryan Larsen as Nate captured the 103-lb. national title and wrestled away the nickname “Third” forever.

“My brother doesn’t even know I won,” Nate said. “He won’t find out for a few more days when we gets his e-mail address.”

Nate’s adventure to becoming a national champion took him through five wrestlers from different corners of the nation.

In his first match Nate pinned Taylor Wilde of Virginia. Next to fall victim to the Viewmont junior was New York’s Jim Pannullo. Wyoming state champion Seth Harris was toppled 10-5 by Nate in the quarter finals.

In his semi-final match, it took Nate outscoring Colorado state champion Seth Meise 5-2 in the last 30 seconds of the match to force overtime (regulation ended 5-5) where Nate dominated and won 10-5.

“That was a wild match because I had to come from behind and score a lot of points late in the match,” Nate said. “It was a tough one, but I won.”

Back in Utah, after hearing that her son would be wrestling in the national finals in less than 24 hours, Nate’s mother, Kris, frantically found a late flight to Virginia so she could be in the stands.

“It was a crazy few hours trying to find the flight and then get to the airport, but I couldn’t miss this,” she said.

With his father Wayne in his corner along with Elite wrestling club coach Jon Fager, and Kris in the stands, Nate took on California state champion Gilberto Camacho for the right to be called the nation’s best.

Down 2-0 with 20 seconds remaining, Nate earned an escape and a takedown to win 3-2.

“I never really thought about winning the national title until I got that late escape in the finals,” Nate said. “I knew I could pull it off and just went at it.”

Viewmont head coach Bart Thompson, who was in Utah coaching the women’s track team, isn’t surprised by Nate’s win.

“Nate is one of the hardest working young men I’ve ever known,” Thompson said. “He never gives up, no matter what the score. I haven’t stopped smiling since I heard about it Friday night while I was driving to a campout with my son.”

“Nate is as deserving an athlete as anyone.”

Now that he’s conquered the country, Nate said he remains focused on next year’s 5A state wrestling tournament.

“I am proud of winning nationals, for sure,” he said. “It’s way cool. But it doesn’t take away the fact that I didn’t reach my goal at state this season.”

“This tournament just taught me a lot of important things like being sure to not give up, wrestle my match no matter who I’m up against and just keep after it.”

And now when Mother’s Day comes and Ryan gets a chance to speak with Nate over the phone, he can call his little brother a new name: “Champ.”