Sam Boykin continues the family's athletic prowess

Sam Boykin’s family tree has many branches that have produced gold. Gold medals, that is.

Boykin is a freshman at Bishop England high school, and his siblings have set the success bar high for the seventh and final child of John and Michele Boykin.

Three brothers have won state championships in wrestling. Francis Boykin won a state title in 2011 as a member of the Hanahan Hawk wrestling team. He claimed gold in the 135-pound division.

Older brothers Joe and John Boykin won state titles wrestling for Bishop England. In his senior year, Joe captured the 171-pound division in 2008. John won a state championship as a Bishop in 2000.

Another brother, Michael, was a state runner-up. The fifth brother, Charles Boykin, wrestled for Hanahan in 2010, but a knee injury cost him a trip to the state meet.

And then there’s sister Michele. She was the main force on the Bishops’ basketball teams that won state titles in 2012 and ’14, winning state player of the year in ’14. She was also all-state in cross country, and track and field.

His other sister, Ryan, is the least focused on athletic accomplishments. But she has a career as a heart specialist.

Boykin said he learned at an early age how competitive his siblings were.

“Even the board games were intense,” Boykin said with a laugh. “They’ve had a lot of success. But I know if I don’t win, they still love me. That’s what I like best.”

Boykin got his high school career off to a good start in the fall when he competed at the Class AA state cross country championship. He finished third in the state behind a pair of seniors. With hard work and good health, he could be the favorite in the fall of 2016.

He will also compete in track and field in the spring. Like his sister Michele, he will compete in the distance events: the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.

But for now, he’s trying to nail down a starting spot on the wrestling team as the postseason nears.

Wrestling coach Paul Spence knows all about sibling rivalries and sports. He was one of three boys in his family and has coached numerous brothers in his long tenure at BE.

“He’s his own man,” Spence said of Boykin. “He knows he has to make his own path. He can be as good as his brothers. He has the potential to be a state champion or a two-time state champ. Everyone is a little bit different, but the common denominator in his family is that they all had great work ethics. That’s just as important as talent.”

Boykin feels he is a better runner than a wrestler at this stage of his career. But he’s working to remove the flaws from his technique and continues to improve.

“I try to get better each practice,” he said. “If there’s something that’s not strength, I focus on that area, trying to improve. Running is tough, just as well. People don’t think it’s that hard, but I beg to differ. It’s harder than you think. You have to work hard, get plenty of rest and eat right.”

And when it’s time to eat in the morning at the Boykin house, it’s the breakfast of champions.

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