Wrestling Sweeps Home Tournament
Upper Jeff MacArthur, within seconds of the start of the first round, shoves against a Belmont Hill wrestler and in one swift motion, pins him against the ground. The referee blows the whistle, slaps the mat and raises MacArthur’s arm in victory.
The Phillips Exeter Academy wrestling team came out on top in all five of its matches this past Saturday in the Exeter Duals against Avon, Belmont Hill, Northfield Mount Hermon, Loomis Chaffee and St. Johnsburg high school, asserting its dominance in the New England Independent School Wrestling Association. Thus far, the Big Red team is undefeated in the association and does not seem to be slowing down at all. After two huge wins Saturday over Belmont Hill and St. Johnsburg, some of the most competitive schools in its league, Big Red is on track for one of the most successful seasons in the team’s history.
One reason for the team’s success is the resilience of each player. Even when faced with daunting opponents, the wrestlers never gave up and at all times gave the matches their best efforts.
“Joey Rossetti, despite facing a tough ranked opponent, fought until the end and only allowed his opponent one point in the entirety of the six minutes,” senior Nick Felli said.
“Each wrestler puts in a hundred percent every practice. All of the repetition adds up in the matches, when it counts.”
This “never give up” attitude carried on throughout the Exeter Duals with each wrestler who stepped onto the mat. In addition to the resiliency, their practice of technique and explosiveness led up to crucial victories. “Each wrestler puts in a hundred percent every practice,” senior Stephan Geneus said. “All of the repetition adds up in the matches, when it counts.”
In addition to resilience and dedicated practice, Big Red wrestlers also demonstrated commitment; even athletes who were injured for the match showed up for the entirety of the long day and rooted for their competing teammates. Junior varsity wrestlers also helped out by running scoreboards and monitoring clocks. According to Felli, this was one of the reasons why the tournament ran so smoothly.
All of these factors contributed to Exeter’s success. In addition, several wrestlers stood out in the matches including MacArthur, prep Kevin Lyskawa and lowers Quinn Abrams and AJ Pedro: each pulled out an important win en route to an overall team victory.
Furthermore, new varsity wrestlers senior Prin Harinsuta and lower Kelechi Nwankwoala brought inspiring performances all throughout the matches. “As first year walk-ons, both Prin and Kelechi utilized what they learned during their matches,” Felli said. “It’s really impressive to think that they had never wrestled before this season.”
Overall, this past Saturday’s matches were a declaration from Big Red’s wrestling team to the entire association. They continued their winning streak and remained undefeated against the association’s teams. “There were several tough matches that we were able to win on Saturday, especially against Belmont Hill,” Lyskawa said. “Our wins definitely sent a message to the other teams that we will put up a good fight against any opponent.”