Connection between twins fuels desire on wrestling mat

Posted by Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi | Jan 29, 2015 | Wrestling |

SHIPROCK

Whitehorse High School juniors Paulando Dennison (left) and his brother Geralando Dennison (right) are identical twins who are leading this year’s Whitehorse Raiders wrestling team. The two have found a connection through wrestling despite their vastly different personalities. (Times photo – Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi)

Before Paulando Dennison made his move on the wrestling mat his brother Geralando Dennison had already thought about the move he was about to make.

Some might call it a coincidence, but the identical twins from Aneth, Utah call it something else – a twin thing.

“I couldn’t hear him because I had my head gear on … every time I did a move he thought I was listening to him,” Paulando Dennison said. “It’s a twin thing.”

The two are juniors at Whitehorse High School and are leaders of the wrestling team in the 138-pound weight class.

Geralando Dennison is the older of the two by one minute.

The two come from a family with a history of twins, but little did their parents, Gerald Dennison and Paula Lansing, know they would end up doing a lot of the same things.

“I really enjoy it,” Paula Lansing said. “Knowing their differences since they were babies, I didn’t even think they would go into the same sports together.”

The two, who have six other siblings, were inspired to wrestle after they learned their father dabbled into the sport and as they grew up watching their older brother wrestle.

They said they tried a number of different sports but found something different about wrestling.

“I enjoy it because it’s my sport, it was made for me,” Geralando Dennison said. “All the other sports I tried I never really got connected to it.”

For Paulando, wrestling became an outlet where he could let off some steam and have some fun while doing it.

But more importantly, wrestling helped him become a better student and person.

“It helps me keep my grades up, it helps me keep on top of things,” he said. “I want to get good so I can get a scholarship to wrestle.”