Captains of the Week: Boys’ Wrestling

Sean Ricard / The Exonian

By ALEXA MOREL, SEAN RICARD, and SERENA YUE

At 6:00 p.m. every weekday, you can expect to see sweaty wrestlers pouring out of the gym and onto the paths, many facing the chilling wind without jackets. These wrestlers, boys and girls, are regarded as some of the toughest kids on campus. Varsity wrestling captains Jack Breaks and Becket Moore are at the heart of the operation.

Breaks and Moore do a lot of hard work to support and lead their team. “They lead us through our warm-up at practice and meets, demonstrate moves, and always make sure we know what’s happening,” Prep Avni Murarka, a new wrestler, noted.

Prep Catherine Chen concurred, “They take on more responsibility when we’re at away games or individual meets. In practice, they’re serious when we’re drilling hard and preparing for a competitive duel, but they also help wind me up during warmups.”

Being a wrestler isn’t easy, Breaks noted, “The sport is not the most rewarding at times; there’s lots of hard work and long hours that can still lead to losses. It’s the grit and resilience that I like about this team.” 

The sport is especially demanding for captains. According to prep Alex Luo, “Coach is strict on them, though, because as captains they showcase, what is an example for the rest of the team.” 

Chen also noted their incredible drive, adding, “They’ll practice outside of normal practice. That’s why they’re captains. [They’re] great and they strive to get better.”

The spirit of grit and resilience Breaks described is felt by all on the team. Luo reflected on the role that the captains play in team morale, “After the second meet I participated in, I lost pretty badly. I think that Becket could tell I was feeling pretty down. So he came up to me and told me that I was doing pretty good as only a second-year wrestler who hasn’t wrestled over break and just cheered me on; he made me feel a lot more confident about my wrestling abilities and excited to wrestle more.” 

Luo stressed the importance of closeness among the team outside of competitions and how the captains foster that camaraderie, “They help facilitate team dinners when we go to a big competition. For example, after the Northern New England’s tournament, we all went to Lexi’s, as a group of about eleven to twelve people. That helps foster the connections between teammates.” Chen recalled the same, “It was super fun. It was good; it’s different when you’re on the mount versus outside and hanging out.” Chen continued, “They’re great people outside of practice.” 

Senior Bella Bueno added, “Both Breaks and Moore have built a community in welcoming new members and encouraging team connections outside the sport.”

The admiration goes both ways — multiple teammates expressed appreciation for their captains. Luo added, “I think he [Breaks] is pretty awesome; he’s funny to just talk with. He’s chill, relaxed, and when you see him wrestle, you can tell that he’s experienced, and it’s very easy to learn from him.” 

Their hard work — both the captains’ and the team’s — has been paying off. According to Breaks, “A recent highlight is having around seven people on the team ‘place’ on the podium at the Class A wrestling tournament at Northfield Mt. Hermon. In doing so, all ten team members qualified for the New England Prep Wrestling Tournament.” 

Moreover, for the first time in 10 years, the wrestling team has a meet on Exeter/Andover day. Moore explained, “Usually we just wrestle Andover earlier in the season so it’s really special for the team to have this meet on the actual E/A day.”

As the team prepares for these important tournaments, Breaks and Moore are more essential than ever. From leading the team through warm-ups, helping everyone get “in the zone,” boosting morale, and fostering team spirit and camaraderie, Breaks and Moore truly are indispensable. Bueno concluded, “For the rest of our season, the captains hope we have a strong and successful tournament season, continue to push each other to succeed, and continue to foster a strong team environment that will continue to grow the team into next year.”