Wrestling Places 14th of 121 Teams at Nationals

Six members of Exeter’s wrestling team made the long trip to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for Prep Nationals. Though the drive was tough, the team did not have much else to complain about throughout the weekend. Big Red stayed in hotel suites, and, for the first time all season, allowed themselves to gain a few pounds. The team was comfortable and ready to take on the nation’s best wrestlers.The group of wrestlers, unfortunately, was missing one of its key players, prep Isaiah Bailey, who was unable to attend the tournament. However, other members of the team stepped up and led the team to finish 14th in the country out of 121 attending schools. “If Isaiah had been there, we could have been top 10, but we’re happy with how we did. Finishing 14th is a great accomplishment,” senior captain Curran Sullivan said.Everyone contributed to the team’s great finish. “The competition was really tough, but the team did really well considering the match-ups. Individually, everyone won at least a couple of matches which was great,” prep Abhijay Bhatnagar said of the team’s success.Senior Stone Hart finished 2nd in the nation, losing in the finals 3-2. “Stone’s match was crazy. For a national title match to come down to one point, it was a bit disappointing, but awesome,” lower Josh Hemintakoon said. This was Hart’s first loss of the season. Hart was named All-American for the 285 lb weight division.Prep AJ Pedro was the other Exeter wrestler named as an All-American. Pedro finished 3rd in the 152 lb division. “When AJ won his quarterfinal match and knew he was going to be All-American, it was a great moment. We were all so happy for him. As a freshman, it’s a huge accomplishment,” Hemintakoon said. “He has put in the work and earned it.”As the season comes to a close, the team is very satisfied with their work. Hart, Sullivan and co-captain Sean Haggerty, who all attended nationals this year, will soon be graduating. Sullivan said this about the team moving forward: “We’re leaving the team in a good place. Sean and I are really proud of the guys. I believe the team will me much stronger next year. I’m excited to be able to come back and watch these guys next year.”Hemintakoon also talked about the team’s future: “The team is in a good place, we’ll be stronger next year than this year. The preps this year were amazing.” Bhatnagar also talked about the younger wrestlers, “Everyone has a lot of expectations for Isaiah, AJ and I in the coming years. We are going to have to stay committed with maintaining weight and polishing our technique.” The future looks bright for Exeter wrestling.