Kaio Sims has a 4.925 weighted GPA and a 19-0 wrestling record this season, but the Liberty High junior measures success by something else: effort.

“I like to prioritize effort over outcome because that’s what I can control,” said Sims, whose uncle attended Stanford. “Of course, I’m super happy when I win.”

Sims did not place at last year’s state meet. He had the skills, he said, but lacked the mental approach. This season, he focused on his mindset.

“Last year, I believe I put in the work, but the big thing I was missing was my mentality,” he said. “I didn’t believe in myself.”

The change has been dramatic. Sims is now ranked No. 1 in Nevada’s 138-pound weight class, a leap that has impressed his coach, Nikoloas Gaitanos.

“This is the first kid I’ve coached with that light of a background,” said Gaitanos, noting that Sims had only basic jiu jitsu experience before his freshman year. “We had to teach him everything. He used to look up to the other wrestlers, and I told him, ‘You’re going to be better than them.’”

Sims has been nursing a minor injury but remains focused on his broader goals.

“I want to go to college,” he said. “That’s why I train so hard. That’s also why I keep my grades so high. I want to go to the next level.”

Stanford is his target. Gaitanos believes a state championship could come as early as this season.

“His cardio is nonstop,” the coach said. “I get exhausted watching him.”

Sims said he doesn’t dwell on SLAM! Nevada, which has seven of the top 14 ranked wrestlers in southern Nevada.

“I don’t think about that much,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for SLAM, but I don’t want to focus on the other guys. Losers focus on winners, and winners focus on winning.”

He credits his cardio conditioning as a key advantage.

“Since my sophomore year, a big part of my game has been cardio conditioning,” Sims said. “If there’s anything in the state I’m definitely better at, it’s that.”

Gaitanos praised Sims’ discipline and humility.

“It’s his discipline and his mentality,” Gaitanos said. “He doesn’t come off as arrogant. He’s very soft spoken, and he just goes out and does it.”

Looking ahead, Sims remains grounded.

“I just want to stay levelheaded because I have larger goals,” he said. “There are many things in life that I want to accomplish.”