Westside High School’s wrestling team brought success on Saturday, January 13^th. The tournament invited parents, friends, and family for an interesting competition. The wrestlers put their best foot forward and ended up with many wins for the Westside wolves. Wrestling may be a tough sport which requires balance, stability, and caution, but each wrestler knows their limits and strengths. I caught up with some of the winners from the tournament to see how they prepare and feel about their experiences as a wrestler.

On the Saturday of the tournament, the wrestlers come in an hour before dawn to weigh in. Weighing in is critical for the wrestlers, because it determines if they’re going to be in the correct weight class. After this, their captains will give a pep talk to motivate and fuel up the wrestlers. During the waiting period before the tournament is about to begin, they walk around to get their mindset ready right before their matches and listen to their favorite music. The tournament ran from 6-4 , and in that time, Franklin Fitzgerald had 4 wins, Daniel Hernandez 3 wins, Takaya Matsuki 1 win, Teddy Andrade 3 wins, and Rendy 3 wins. “It’s a blessing when I put all my effort into my match and I end up with a win. All the training is worth it in the end” – Teddy Andrade, Junior.

The wrestling tournaments are never freebies or throwaways for the wrestlers. It requires time and effort, especially the preparation the day of the competition. Wrestling occurs with a furious pace and involves all muscles of the body, so each individual wrestler, along with the training of their coach, knows the magnitude of the sport. Between wrestling season, this isn’t considered a period of resting for the participants. That’s their chance to improve, redeem, and take care of themselves. Dedication is everything to a wrestler when they desire to win their matches, especially at a big event like a tournament.