Grappling with a tough season
In spite of a small squad, the Bomber wrestlers are doing well
Bomber wrestler pins his opponent
Wrestling season practices have officially started and the team is ready to go. Boys from 9th to 12th grade are practicing diligently for 2 hours every day to improve themselves. Ninth grade wrestler Levi Anderson stated that after losing powerhouse Ryan Epps, this season for the team will be “a bit hard, but individually we’ll do well.”
The team is off to a rough start with a 1-5 record. January 7th the team had their biggest tournament yet with 16 schools in attendance. Overall the team took 8th against some hard competition but had four students who placed in their weight class. Haden Strain won 1st at 170 lbs, Erwin Strelow placed 2nd at 113 lbs, and both Cooper Peterson and Dylan Rohr placed fourth at 106 lbs and 145 lbs respectively. These results show that the Cannon Falls wrestling team has a lot of skill, they just don’t have the numbers to place ahead of larger schools.
The beauty of MSHSL wrestling is the individual competition and achievement. Each man works hard to make themselves as great as they can be, so despite losing Ryan Epps the team is as strong as ever. One eleventh grade wrestler, Dylan Rohr, is excited for the season, especially the sections competition this year; his goal is to place in sections.
Competing is definitely important, and winning is rewarding, but in some sports, like wrestling, the students aren’t in it just to win it. Wrestling is more than just hitting the other opponent harder. There is a lot of thought put into the sport on top of hard conditioning. Levi Anderson said his favorite part about wrestling was practicing because, “It’s fun to get to know moves and to find out what techniques you want to use.” Dylan Rohr also agreed that practice is his favorite part about wrestling, mentioning that he enjoye“the environment of the room and the bond you share with the guys. You spend 2 hours every day working hard with them. It builds a bond unlike any other.”
Wrestling is definitely more than having the bigger muscles, as I learned while chatting with some of the wrestlers about their sport. No matter what someone may try to claim, wrestling requires brain and muscle power. The hard work that it takes to improve builds camaraderie that will stay with the team members throughout high school and maybe even beyond.
Quin2 Sabin is active in soccer, track, robotics, speech, and band. In his free time he enjoys playing the banjo, consuming edgy memes, and communism.