The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

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After a rebuilding season, wrestlers expect better

Last year, Athens’ wrestling team struggled through a rebuilding season, but this year the athletes expect to be much more experienced. In the last season the team won a total of nineteen out of thirty-nine matches, and this year they hope to improve their record by six matches.

As the season is starting up, new members are already joining in on preseason workouts. The wrestling season begins Oct. 30 and the first match is Nov. 20 at Athens. The wrestlers will launch their season by competing against Cary High School. As the sport is becoming more popular, the athletes are hoping to gain more student support.

“Most people don’t realize we have a wrestling team, but a lot of freshman and sophomores are starting to join, so hopefully they will pass the word along and people will want to come and support us, just like they would any other sports team,” said Luc Spalding, junior on the wrestling team.

Even though most of the athletes started wrestling at the beginning of high school, they have gained a good amount of experience in the past years. Along with the wrestlers learning new techniques, Coach Finkbeiner is getting to know the boys strengths and weaknesses. Even though Coach Finkbeiner has coached at two other schools, this year will be his second year coaching at Athens.

“Even though coach is new to the program, he pushes us beyond what we think our limits are in order to make us better. He gains a lot of respect from the wrestlers that way,” said Luc Spalding.

Unlike most sports, wrestling is grouped by the athlete’s weight class. The athletes can only wrestle others that are in their weight class for safety reasons. Although, their weight does not define how well they can wrestle, a heavier wrestler can end up having an advantage over a lighter opponent in matches.

“People will sometimes try to cut weight so that they have an advantage over other wrestlers, but coach doesn’t want us losing weight, other than the natural way,” said Keith Markovich, sophomore on the Athens wrestling team.

Before every match the boys get together and pump each other up and try to have nothing but a positive outlook. Coach Finkbeiner has spent much time expressing to the boys how important it is to become close with one another.

According to Markovich, without the boys being a close group they would be unable to have a successful season. Although much of the sport is how the athletes perform individually, they need one another to get better. Most sports are a full-fledged team sport, but in wrestling the individual members compete for themselves which later contributes to the team’s score.

“Without your teammates you wouldn’t be able to improve because during practice we wrestle against someone we have a chance of beating but also makes it a challenge,” said Markovich.

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