Braxton and Beau Lewis are two Suffolk natives who recently won state championships in AAU competition.

The two brothers wrestle for Smithfield Youth Wrestling Club AAU team. They both are AAU and USA wrestling state champs.

Braxton, the older of the two, attends Forest Glen Middle School and wrestles in the 85-pound weight class. Braxton had been wrestling for five years and set a goal for himself to accomplish a state championship. Beau, who attends Pioneer Elementary School, wrestles in the 70-pound weight class. He has only been wrestling for two years.

Each of the Lewis brothers won the AAU state championship in his respective weight class last Sunday. The week before that, they both won the VAWA state tournament together as well. They are coached by Bryan Roggie, who says the Lewis brothers are talented, hard working and honest kids.

“We owe most all our children have accomplished to the coaching at Smithfield Wrestling (Bryan Roggie and Doug Smith) and the hard work,” Jason Lewis, the Lewis brothers’ father, said. “The dedication and determination that these coaches have instilled in our children through the great sport of wrestling.”

“They have definitely earned everything they have achieved,” Roggie said. “They have been a blessing to our program and have been fun to coach. They both have a great attitude and are going to be successful in life. Their hard work and determination will take them a long way. As with all our wrestlers, we try to instill in them respect, good sportsmanship, integrity, character and class, and the Lewis boys are prime examples of this.”

Roggie mentioned that he knew the road to the state championship was not going to be easy for the Lewis brothers, but if they wrestled to their potential they could come out on top.

“Beau and Braxton, along with many Smithfield Youth wrestlers, have traveled up and down the East Coast to compete with some of the best wrestlers,” Roggie said. So, I knew they were very well prepared.”

They wrestle on a team that sets goals and expectations very high. Every wrestler for Smithfield Youth has a goal to win the VAWA state tournament before they leave the program. The Lewis brothers blend talent with their passion for wrestling and hard work to accomplish their goals.

“The kids put their heart and soul into wrestling and trust in us, the coaches, to lead them on the right path both on and off the mat,” Roggie said. “There is no better feeling than seeing them meet or exceed their goals and expectations. They all work exceptionally hard and the work ethics instilled in them through wrestling will stay with them forever.”

Braxton and Beau have already competed in tournaments in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Georgia. They will be traveling to New Jersey and Ohio in the coming months to compete in national tournaments.