A heartwarming moment between a college wrestler and his girlfriend is going viral due to the massive size difference between the two of them.
Lucas Byrd of the University of Illinois was competing at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia over the weekend.
Standing at 5-foot-6 and competing in the 133-pound weight class, Byrd was able to beat his opponent – Drake Ayala of the University of Iowa – to win the title of best in his weight class nationally.
But in spite of his strong performance, it’s Byrd’s celebration that drew the most attention.
Once being declared the winner, Byrd ran off the mat and into the arms of his girlfriend, Ellie Holzman – who towers above him at 6-foot-2.
Illinois senior Lucas Byrd won the wrestling national title for the 133-pound weight class
After being crowned the victor, he ran off the mat and into the arms of girlfriend Ellie Holzman
Holzman towers over Byrd at 6-foot-2, while the champion wrestler stands at 5-foot-6
Holzman, who played volleyball at Illinois and was seen wearing an Illinois varsity jacket, embraced him in some tender scenes.
Holzman then paid tribute to his accomplishment with a post on social media.
‘You freaking did it baby! NATIONAL CHAMPION!,’ she posted on Instagram along with pictures of them celebrating.
‘I am so beyond proud of you. Coming back after a gnarly injury, rehab/recovery, and medical redshirt season to go all the way to the top. My SUPERSTAR!!!! The world is yours [heart emoji] ILL.’
Elsewhere on social media, plenty of people praised the ‘short king’ for his accomplishment and there were plenty of jokes about the height difference.
‘The guy won his division because he trains with heavyweights! Even at home!,’ one user joked.
This isn’t the first time that the couple has gone viral. They run a popular TikTok account that has nearly 420,000 followers and their videos have received over 55million likes.
Holzman played volleyball from 2019-2021. Byrd is in his final year of collegiate wrestling.
