Moments after pinning Wellston's Jenna Bame in just 18 seconds last week, Delaware Hayes sophomore wrestler Evelyn Krauss helped Bame to her feet and consoled her.
It's that type of compassion, especially for an opponent, that makes Krauss so special, according to coaches Josh Lamb and Kevin Rieman and her mother, Carissa.
Two years ago, Krauss was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, depression and anxiety. Wrestling helps the 16-year-old not only deal with those issues but thrive.
"(Autism spectrum disorder) affects everything I do, but I don't think of it as a negative," Krauss said. "It just changes how I process things. It affects my wrestling sometimes when it's really loud or chaotic. It can get in my head a little too much, but when I'm on the mat it helps me in some ways the way I process, the way I think.
"Wrestling is a chaotic sport for everyone. I'm used to having all the sensory jumbling all the time. It gives me a leg up over my competition because they're not really used to that feeling."
Krauss' teammates and coaches have displayed that same compassion for her in her journey.
"They're all like a family," Rieman said. "They all come from different backgrounds. They're all close and such a tight-knit family. They treat each other with respect, so we haven't had specific talks about how to approach Evelyn. They all do a great job."
Krauss is one of the top competitors for the Pacers, with a 26-12 record and 22 pins heading into the regional tournament Sunday at Olentangy Orange. The top four finishers in each weight class advance to state March 8-10 at Value City Arena.
She went 2-0 with two pins, including the win against Bame, in the pre-regional last Friday at Gallipolis Gallia Academy to earn the title at 155 pounds. Delaware finished first (221) in the tournament, well ahead of runner-up New Lexington (84).
Krauss hopes last season's experience at state helps her take the next step this year. In the first OHSAA state tournament for girls wrestling , she went 0-2 at 155 to finish the season 12-11. She placed second at regional last year.
"Last year was really what I needed to work up to the point where I am now," she said.
Rieman and Lamb have been impressed with Krauss' improvements on and off the mat.
"Last year was a little different, but this year she does a great job telling us what's going on," Rieman said. "It's because she trusts us now and she's been with us for a couple of years. She communicates her emotions and her needs very well to us now. She keeps us posted and does a great job."
Said Lamb: "She advocates for herself so well now. As she was growing and maturing in the sport and in life, one of the things that I've noticed is she's much easier to coach because she's very verbal about how she wants to get better. She's a fantastic communicator. She's very intelligent. Evelyn is one in a million."
Krauss also has made adjustments in her routine, including taking breaks during tournaments for some time alone.
"I like to watch my teammates, but as much as possible in the hour before my next match, I try to stay out of the gym," she said. "I try to find a nice quiet space. Keeping a routine helps me so I don't get too stressed out. It gets really loud, really chaotic, so I try to do the same thing before every match. ... I also bring a stuffed animal and noise-canceling headphones to help keep me calm and have some consistency."
The daughter of Daniel and Carissa Krauss, Evelyn displayed characteristics associated with autism spectrum disorder while growing up but was not correctly diagnosed until December 2021.
Those characteristics included having difficulty socializing with peers and mood fluctuations, according to Carissa.
"We're very proud of her," Carissa said. "She's phenomenal. She surprises us all the time. She doesn't show nerves. She competes and she's very brave. That's the thing that really impresses me beyond anything."
Evelyn Krauss was introduced to wrestling in first grade with the Little Pacers Youth Wrestling Club, but she took a break from the sport in fourth grade.
When the girls program was formed at Delaware in 2020, Krauss decided to resume wrestling while in seventh grade at Dempsey Middle School. She credits then-middle school coach Mark Rieman, Kevin's brother, with helping to revive her interest in the sport.
In high school, Lamb and Kevin Rieman have helped Krauss become one of the program's top wrestlers.
"The coaches have been really helpful," she said. "They've helped me make the changes I need to make for me and keep my schedule and being able to exist because it's really chaotic and there's a lot going on. They make it comfortable for me."
She also hopes to continue wrestling beyond high school.
"I hope I get to do this in college because it's done a tremendous amount for me," she said. "Academically and socially, (wrestling helps) me maintain a routine."
Krauss also is a Boy Scout with Troop 7844 in Lewis Center and is working on a promotion to Eagle Scout. She said her two passions go hand in hand.
"It's nice to get a little bit of the frustration out (on the mat), but it can be hard sometimes pushing people around, so that's one of the ways that (Boy) Scouts help me," she said. "Anytime I'm off the mat, I'm going to have my scout mentality – help people, be kind, just be a good person – but anytime I'm on the mat, I do enough nice things off the mat that I can do whatever I want when I'm wrestling."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Wrestling helps Delaware Hayes' Evelyn Krauss deal with autism
