Senior Blue Devil of the Year: Josh Finesilver

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Senior Blue Devil of the Year: Josh Finesilver

5/26/2022 1:10:00 PM | Wrestling, Athletics

Wrestling Senior Sits Down with David Shumate

By: David Shumate, GoDuke The Magazine

This interview originally appeared in the 13.10 Issue of GoDuke the Magazine -- May 2022.

JOSH FINESILVER

Wrestling • Greenwood Village, Colo.

Four-time NCAA Championships qualifier (three different weight classes)
Four-time All-ACC Academic Team
Four-time NWCA Scholar All-America Team
Posted 28-8 record (149 pounds) in 2022 and reached round of 16 at NCAAs
Defeated a career-high six ranked opponents in 2022
Finished with a 79-45 career record and 12 NCAA matches (fourth most in program history)
ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipient
Duke graduate, 2022, with degree in evolutionary anthropology and minor in sociology

David Shumate: We’ll get to this particular honor in just a second, but I wanted to start with your overall collegiate experience at Duke. Whether you look at it academically or athletically, it has certainly been unusual with the pandemic and everything that has come with that. Have you had a moment yet where it’s hit you that it’s coming to a close? What have the last few weeks and months been like as you process that your time at Duke is coming to an end?

Josh Finesilver: It’s funny, I was actually talking to one of our athletic trainers about that the other day, telling him how crazy it is that I’ve been here for so long and I’ll probably be moving in a couple of weeks. That idea of actually moving and leaving Durham for good — of course I’ll come back and visit, but I won’t live here and that’s such a weird feeling. It has been such a big part of my life, and during such an important part of my life, going back to when I was 18 and came here for the first time. You’re becoming an adult and you have to grow up, and just being in Durham and at Duke during that time of my life has been awesome and it’s a little overwhelming knowing I’m leaving and closing a chapter on that part of my life.

DS: Everyone knows that your family has been synonymous with the wrestling program for quite a while now so let’s talk about the athletic side of this honor. You and your twin brother Matt have had an incredible run, I think it’s like eight match wins in the NCAA Tournament. Achieving that as a part of a nonscholarship program, what you’ve done is somewhat remarkable. Can you put in perspective what you’ve accomplished together?

JF: Yeah, I think a lot of it was just trusting the coaches and trusting the process, coming in every single day, and putting the work in. Combine that with the fact that we were able to be around each other and feed off of each other with the same guidance and support. It was a huge part of what we’ve been able to accomplish. I know none of us feel like we accomplished our ultimate goal at the end of the day, but I always tell people that who I am and who I became during the process and pursuit of those goals is something that I’ll always hang my hat on. The fact that I got to do that with my brothers and do it at a place in Duke that is so special, with coaches and a staff that are so special, is something that I’m very grateful for.

DS: You and Matt are the second set of Finesilver twins to come through Duke and I’ve had a chance to speak with several of you guys over the years. So now that everyone’s collegiate careers are over let’s hear the rankings: Of the four, who had the most successful career? What would your power rankings be?

JF: (Laughing) Oh gosh, this is not a good question to ask me! Instead of ranking them I can tell you that we all did really well in our own way. Matt was very good at being stubborn and just going out and wrestling no matter what the situation was. Zach was always the type of guy that would give you everything he had, every single match no matter what. Mitch was probably the most technical, with the most wrestling savvy. And I feel like I had a little bit of everything, which is my specialty, I guess. But to rank them, and then see where I put them, that might start a fist fight (laughing).

Josh Finesilver

Matt Finesilver

Mitch Finesilver

Zach Finesilver

DS: Fair enough. Let’s switch over and discuss the academic piece of this. For those that don’t know, take us through your major, what you’ve been studying and what’s next on that front.

JF: Yeah, I was an evolutionary anthropology major, with a minor in sociology. I’ve loved studying in that field. All those classes and the whole topic of evolutionary anthropology was just something I gravitated toward, it was just so interesting. Also, the staff and the professors in that department are incredible and they make learning so much fun and the topic was just something I really wanted to be a part of. When it comes to what’s next, I’m going to pursue medical school. But first I’m going to keep wrestling for two more years, doing some international stuff and then after that I’ll start looking at medical schools.

DS: You spend a lot of time in college grinding I would think, whether that be on the mat or in the classroom, and you’ve received the ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Award, and now from Duke the Male Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. I would imagine at different times during your journey you can feel like no one notices the work you’re putting in. What does it mean to get this sort of recognition not just from your peers, not just in athletics, but from some of the highest-ranking officials on campus and in the ACC?

JF: It’s awesome, it’s really super cool. It’s not something I’ve actively thought about. It wasn’t the goal. The goal for me was to just work hard at everything I do. As you said — grinding, and staying true to that part of who I am. That meant doing everything in the classroom and everything on the mat at a high level. To get recognition for that is pretty cool, and my parents are very excited as am I.

DS: You’ve mentioned people around the program and those that have helped you on this journey at Duke. I would think Coach Lanham has been a big part of that. How would you describe the relationship you’ve had with him and the impact he’s had on your life?

JF: My relationship with Coach Lanham is as close as it can get. He’s been such a huge mentor in my life, somebody that I’ve always been able to talk to, get advice from, and somebody who always wants what’s best for me. Having him as the head coach and the person in charge of the program has been awesome and I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him. He’s the man!

Dedicated to sharing the stories of Duke student-athletes, present and past, GoDuke the Magazine is published by LEARFIELD with editorial offices at 3100 Tower Blvd., Suite 404, Durham, NC 27707.