Three Wrestlers Place at Brunswick

Tiki+Crider+%E2%80%9920+breaks+down+an+opponent.

Edward Guo ’19

Tiki Crider ’20 breaks down an opponent.

The freezing winter snow did not cool off the determination of the Varsity Wrestling team. On January 19, the team competed at the Brunswick Tournament and received three top recognitions. 

The team placed tenth amongst 16 participating schools. Individually, AJ Caba ’20 placed fourth at 138 pounds, Tiki Crider ’20 placed fourth at 140 pounds, and Ben Meyers ’19 placed third at 195 pounds.

The wrestling team started this season with a roster that is double the size of last year’s. Fifteen new players joined the team this year, many of whom had not previously wrestled but were interested in trying the sport. There are seven female wrestlers on the team this year, which breaks the record of three or four in the previous ten years. Einar Bratthall ’20, a new member of the Varsity team, said, “If my teammates were [not] so welcoming and passionate, I would not [have] thought of trying out the sport.”

This increase in size and diversity on the team makes for higher-quality practices. Co-captain Nick Adams ’19 said, “Having a lot more people in the practice room adds more energy and excitement to the atmosphere. It also helps while training with different partners, because each wrestler has their own style and techniques.”

After every tournament, meet, and practice, the team reflects on its performance. Head Coach Cooper Puls said, “I’m really proud of how hard these kids are working during practices. They don’t take mental days off. Of the 22 practices we’ve had so far, I believe 20 of them were fantastic, and I’m happy to see the great progress each individual has been making.”

At the same time, the team faces the challenge that there are many members who are new to the sport. Without the advantage of having several years of experience, these young wrestlers need to learn many skills before going into competitions.

Recent meets have demonstrated the value of the new wrestlers. After losing to both Suffield and Loomis-Chaffee last year, the team emerged victorious against both on Wednesday, January 24. This past Saturday, it earned victories against Choate, Deerfield, and Canterbury.

The team will continue to improve as new players grow more experienced. Its next home meet is scheduled for Wednesday, February 6 against Salisbury.