On Wednesday, Social Circle’s three-time state champion CJ Duren penned his letter of intent to continue his wrestling career at the University of Montevallo.

Surrounded by family, friends, teammates and coaches, Duren shared what was going through his head on the day it became official.

“I was happy and felt a sense of gratitude for the people that have been by my side,” Duren said.

For Duren, a lot of his decision came down to the Falcons’ coaching staff and how they can prepare him to reach another title.

“Coach [Daniel] Ownbey matches perfectly [with] what I imagine as a perfect coach, and I am confident in his ability to lead me to a national title,” Duren said.

Wrestling at the college level has been a dream of Duren’s, and he noted it is something that has been on his mind since day one.

“From the very beginning, the first practice, I had aspirations of competing at the next level,” Duren said. 

From his sophomore year on, Duren won a state title for Social Circle. 

In reflection, Duren referred to a moment during his junior year as his personal favorite as a Redskin.

“When the team won a dual state title in the ‘23-‘24 season, it was special and had a lot of emotion,” Duren said.

After a long and successful career with the Social Circle wrestling program, Duren shed light on how the team has prepared him for this next stage of wrestling.

“I believe it has prepared me in every way,” Duren said. “My coaches put me through high level intense practices, get me the highest level of competition, and are always critiquing my wrestling.”