Pre-season for Eagle High’s wrestling team has been nothing short of hard conditioning, mental focus and team culture. The team looks forward to their successful future as they start to build discipline and strength for upcoming tournaments. The Eagle High wrestling team is notorious for their success in and out of the weight room to begin the preseason grind.
Head coach Michael Stone drives each athlete to the best of their abilities. With six assistant coaches and over 100 athletes in the wrestling room, each practice is made to count by building discipline and strength both mentally and physically.
“I usually go to the gym for about an hour, an hour and a half after practice, to go lift weights,” said sophomore Layla Allington as she explained the dedication that is put in place for the season whether its in the wrestling room or in the gym.
Wrestlers typically must achieve a certain weight class to be able to compete in the season. Some wrestlers must bulk, meaning they must gain weight to be able to compete in their weight class, while others must cut, meaning they must lose weight to compete in their weight class. A lot of this is done through conditioning in and outside of practice and certain diets athletes choose to go on.
“It builds great work ethic, and it teaches you how to be humble instead of focusing on excellence,” Allington said about the sport. Most people don’t know that wrestling itself is a very difficult sport both physically and mentally. It is very easy to get injured and mentally stressed.
But nevertheless, Eagle High wrestlers continue to build work ethic and sportsmanship as they inch their way towards their competing seasons. Their first tournament is in mid-to-late December. Matches, tournaments and schedules can be found on the Eagle High wrestling Instagram page and on the daily morning announcements by Eagle High broadcasting.
“I’m very excited, and we have a huge girls’ team this season, so I hope we win State, because I think we will with how big our team is,” Allington said. In previous years, Eagle High had a shortage of girls competing on their wrestling team, but the new season brought so many more athletes onto the mat, providing an advantage for the team.
Overall, Eagle High’s wrestling athletes will continue to bring their hard work and dedication to the mat. It is these athletes that build such a strong foundation for Eagle High and the community they surround themselves with.
