Amidst the departure of last year’s seniors and a growing number of girl wrestlers, the wrestling team looks forward to going to state again this season. This year, the team welcomes lots of promising talent and returning members continue to train hard, carrying the legacy of two-time district champions.

Coach Cale Holt, who has been coaching here for 11 years, is optimistic. 

“Our whole freshman class last year, we saw them pretty consistently through the summer and they’re looking more like junior-level ability than sophomores right now,” Holt said.

Coach Elyse Newport, in her second year as a coach, is excited about the growing girls team. 

“Last year, I think we had like 12 [girls] and then like 50 boys,” Newport said. “We’re literally splitting the room now instead of just kind of being on one side.”

  In the upcoming season, the girls team will compete at all weight classes. Holt notes that now, the only thing the girls team lacks is time. The coaches hope the team sweeps districts and improves at state this year.

Sophomore girls’ captain Ava Mateo-Vicente agrees. She’s also “looking forward to defend that dual title, two time dual-champs.”

Senior boys’ wrestling captain Henry Folkerth looks back on the growth of the team. 

“My freshman year, there were a lot less people. We’ve just kind of grown as a sport in these last four years,” Folkerth said. “I feel like we’ve just…had a lot more talented wrestlers come in in the last four years… my freshman year, there might have been two or three girls.”

Senior boys captain Lucas McCall-Petke is very excited. 

“I have high hopes for this season…hoping to place [at state] this year,” McCall-Petke said “If I could be a medalist it would be great…all the new recruits are looking good. There’s some good improvement we’re seeing.”

Their path won’t be without struggle. As practice continues, injuries and sickness remain potential roadblocks. For the girls division, other teams in the city are catching up in terms of numbers. 

“It’s a matter of making sure we can hold our own even when we’re going head-to-head

at all weight classes,” Newport said. 

Still, the team works really hard to prepare. 

Asked to describe the team, sophomore Tullulah Scott Farrell, the girls’ wrestling captain, said they are determined and funny. 

“There are some really fun people on the team,” Scott Farrell said.  “Our team, we work really hard to get where we are.”

This year, the team has the opportunity to host three exciting home games, more than in previous years. The first home game was on Jan. 14. Senior night is on Feb. 4, and Feb. 11 is the game against long-time rival Grant.

On the girls team, some players to look forward to seeing are Zylah Thorne, Ava Mateo-Vicente, Avril Rivera, Hope Hitchcock, and Tullulah Scott Farrell, who hopes to go to state again. 

On the boys team,  some players to look forward to seeing are McCall-Petke, Sadam Rezai, Michael Haragakiza, Folkerth, and Lupine Reeves, who qualified for state two years ago in his sophomore year and is coming back to the team after a shoulder injury.

The wrestling team continues to build team camaraderie, discipline, and skill as they prepare for the season. At the end of the day, the coaches hope that the players will not only grow in terms of wrestling ability, but also grow as people.