With many meets happening all over Maryland, the wrestling team has been putting up winning scores. The team has been in about 12 meets up until Jan. 26, With the season nearing its end, the team is looking to finish strong.
Junior Bryn Cespedes has “been wrestling for five years.” The team participates in many tournaments which are two day events compared to a one day event meet. Cespedes’ favorite tournament was the Kent County tournament because last year she took second place, and this year she “came back and took first.” Post-season is “always exciting” for Cespedes, because that is when she gets to “push [herself] the hardest and really get to see how [she has] improved throughout” the season. The junior added that “the team is fairly new,” and they “lost a lot of [the] starting lineup due to injuries.” She also expressed that with these injuries, the team has “been doing well at filling the gaps” and “working hard to build” the “strength as a team.” Cespedes added that the whole team, including herself, needs to “work on mental toughness,” as she stated that “wrestling is as much of a mental sport as it is physical.” The junior is proud of herself “for wrestling in the varsity sport for 106, because it is co-ed,” meaning she is wrestling mostly boys.
The “season has been good.” While the team has taken “some losses,” they “will bounce back,” according to sophomore Tommy Blankenship. The sophomore has been wrestling for ten years, and this is his second year on the Hawks team. Blankenship is “most looking forward to states,” as last year, he placed “fifth in the state.” He added that “the team has been doing really well in working hard and staying focused this season.” Improvements could be made by “drilling and practicing more,” Blankenship expressed. The sophomore said he can personally improve on his “pacing” throughout his matches.
Junior Caleb Kerr has been wrestling for seven years and expressed that the team’s season is “going good.” To perform well in meets, the “team has been working hard in the practice room.” An accomplishment Kerr is proud of was during the Kent County tournament, where he “placed in top three.” The junior added that he can improve in the sport by “listening” to his coach more.
Senior Mason Raab is in his fourth year of wrestling and states that his “season has been going pretty good.” He named the home meet against Havre De Grace High School as his favorite because the team put in “effort from everyone.” The Hawks came out on top of this meet with a winning score of 43-36 against the Warriors. Raab continues that he is most looking forward to the senior night meet against Edgewood High School on Jan. 31 at 5:30; this will be a home meet. “The team has been doing really well on giving effort during practice,” but they can also “improve on communication with the coach and [other] teammates,” according to Raab. Personally, Raab wants to “work on some more technical moves in wrestling.”
Junior Ian Lewis is currently wrestling in his third season. This year, his favorite meet was against the Havre De Grace Warriors. Lewis is “looking forward to wrestling Patterson Mill again” after their 33-39 loss against the Huskies earlier this season. The junior wants to improve on “shooting more” in his matches.
