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Lawrence Nichols' high school wrestling career has been similar to the sort of race that might be run by a talented track athlete who isn't quite in top shape yet.

In other words, he tends to get off to a terrific start but fades down the stretch. It happened when the Floyd County High senior was a sophomore. Nichols had wrestling people excited by his potential as a 171-pounder. Then he got into a disciplinary scrape involving practice attendance and was excused from further competition.

Looking back, Nichols had no problem with the verdict, harsh as it may have seemed at the time.

"They were definitely right to kick me off the team," he said.

Then last year, returned to good graces and off to a promising start on the mats, his season was derailed by personal issues. The day after Super Bowl Sunday, he moved to Millersville, Md., to live with his grandparents, Shirley and Steve Meade.

"It was an experiment," Nichols said. "I wanted to see how I liked it up there."

As it turned out, not that much. He was looking for a fresh start and he got that, more or less. Never the most dedicated student, he pulled his grades up enough to qualify for the Old Mill High wrestling team. Eventually, he finished third in the county tournament.

In the end, he enjoyed the people in Maryland but didn't think much of the school system. So back to Floyd County he came forhis senior year and one more try.

So far so good.

"I see a lot of change in him," Buffaloes wrestling coach Danny Thomas said. "He left here last year with a chip on his shoulder. Now, you can actually sit down and talk to him about things."

The first topic of discussion was his grades. That conversation has continued both before and after the Christmas break. Like any coach, Thomas dreaded the possibility of losing a quality athlete to ineligibility when first semester report cards came out.

The good news: Those fears were unfounded.

"I just checked," Nichols said. "I'm going to be eligible."

When he's been available, Nichols has been an asset to both the wrestling and football teams. This past fall, he settled in and had a good season at defensive tackle for the 9-2 Buffs. Then, wrestling at 189 pounds, he's won 14 of 20 bouts.

"I lost some that I should have won," he said. "Mental mistakes have cost me."

Counted among the regrets are setbacks to wrestlers from Grayson County and Galax. That's been both a problem and an opportunity. The problem is that both wrestlers are from schools that, like Floyd County, are in Group A Region C. The opportunity is that he well could have another shot at them at regionals next month.

"That's what we're hoping," Thomas said.

Nichols has had to overcome obstacles besides scholastic and disciplinary performance to be where he is now. For one, he is what is known in wrestling as a 'tweener, a guy who is between weights. Nichols decided not to diet and cut weight to wrestle at 171, where he might have been even more competitive and settled in at 189. The catch is that he's really not quite big enough to wrestle at that weight.

"I weighed in last time at 182," he said. "Most everybody is bigger than I am."

He compensates with guile and technique. That's worked well for him. His four other losses this year are to wrestlers from larger schools with traditionally powerful teams. No doubt the strong competition will help him in the crucial stages of the season.

"If he has his mind right, he'll definitely be in the mix in the [Three Rivers] district and the state," Thomas said.

Nichols promises there will not be another late-season swoon this year. Even if there is, Thomas knows it won't be because of a lack of effort.

"It's been a tough battle for him," the coach said.