Some in the wrestling community say Jenifer may experience a backlash as his skills develop. His torso is much bigger and stronger than those of his 103-pound opponents because their weight is displaced throughout a larger body.
"There will be factions that say this guy has the biceps of a guy 180 pounds and his arm strength far exceeds that of a guy who's 103 pounds," said Jim Johnson, the referee. "He's going to experience some opposition."
Trevon Jenifer, in a match against Jonathan Phills of Oxon Hill, draws a crowd whenever he wrestles. "The whole stage stops to watch this kid," says Jim Johnson, a referee who has worked other matches but is not pictured here.
(Preston Keres -- The Washington Post)
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Hull, of USA Wrestling, said: "We have the same issue in the sport when we've got girls wrestling boys. It's tough on a person's ego."
Ackerman recalled one high school match when an opponent faked an injury and forfeited to him. He found out later that the kid thought Ackerman had an unfair advantage.
"That can raise the hair on my neck," Ackerman said. "When you start winning, people start saying, 'Well, he's got an advantage.' You weren't saying that when I was losing. I'll tell you what, if it's such an advantage, cut off your legs and see how well you do."
Right now, the only clear advantage Jenifer has is a home crowd wherever he wrestles. Spectators surrounded the mat for his matches at last weekend's tournament at Northern High, virtually ignoring the match on the adjacent mat five feet away.
"The whole stage stops to watch this kid," Johnson said.
The stage was all Jenifer's on Dec. 14, when Huntingtown hosted Eleanor Roosevelt. The 103-pound match wound up being the meet's finale. Holding a one-point lead with 15 seconds left in his match, Jenifer shot in and grabbed his opponent's left leg, knowing an escape would give his opponent one point and cost Jenifer a victory.
Jenifer held on, and collapsed backward as the final horn sounded. It was his first victory, but it felt like everyone's.
"There wasn't a dry eye in the place," Huntingtown Athletic Director Valerie Harrington said.
Senior co-captain Dusty Jones picked up Jenifer and carried him from one high-five to another around the gym.
"It was definitely one of those things like in the movies, when you see something amazing happening for the first time and you're just so happy to be a part of it," Jones said. "That day, it felt better watching him win than winning yourself."
