he wrestling team has started with high hopes of going to state.
“I believe we can achieve a high amount of success this season. We are a senior oriented team and have the potential to do great,” Jared Ellingwood, senior, said.
The wrestlers have to go through a large amount of preparation for state.
“I try to push myself harder and harder every day,” Ethan Plese, senior, said.
“I push them harder than any of them ever thought they could be pushed. There are always a few pukers every year, and the good ones rally to finish the practice,” Joe Kamper, assistant coach, said.
Each wrestler has a different preparation and motivation for a match.
“I think to myself it’s a battle out on the mat, and I need to go hard to win,” Noah Bogdan, senior, said.
“The process is indescribable to non-wrestlers, wrestlers are a different breed,” Ellingwood said.
Wrestling is different than other sports, and it teaches many different values in addition to skills.
“Wrestling teaches you a great amount of discipline, from waking up at 4:30 am for practice to eating healthy to keep your diet in check,” Ellingwood said.
“Wrestling teaches many things, but I’d say the strongest lessons are confidence, discipline, self-reliance, and respect. It takes a certain level of confidence to step on that center line of a wrestling mat because a wrestling match is close to a one on one fight,” Ryan West, head coach, said.
They hope to see all the wrestlers succeed again next year.
“As a coach I’d like to see all wrestlers learn to love the sport of wrestling, and see them return next year because it’s about the process of building a great program not just individual achievement,” Kamper said. “If you lose there is no one to blame but yourself…That is tough when you are at the lunch table or out with friends. Wrestlers know how hard the sport is on and off the mat and therefore respect each other in victory and defeat.”