As the winter sport season begins, the Carlmont High School wrestling team is preparing to take to the mat for their first match of the season. Long hours of practice in the Scots gym demonstrate the team’s dedication, spirit, and determination to face their fierce upcoming opponents.
With athletes ranging from beginners to experienced competitors, the team has been working on mastering the basics and building strength.
“I think a few kids are ready. I’m not sure about everyone yet because we have a lot of new kids, but the majority of our kids are ready,” said sophomore Gabriel Osorio. “We’ve been covering the basics. Very simplistic stuff and how to break down.”
To make sure he himself is prepared, Osorio does lots of training and exercise to improve as a player.
“I do 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 squats every single day, and I run two miles after practice,” Osorio said.
The team has ambitious goals and hopes for this season. Players such as Preston Evangelista have an optimistic outlook on improving this season, although there are still some lingering doubts from last year.
“I think this year will be my time to win and get better,” Evangelista said.
Wrestling is a very hard sport, but so far, the team has been fully dedicated in training.
“My team is great. We’ve been working very hard. Wrestling gets you tired every day, it gets you dead. You can’t even walk,” said Vitus Ng, a freshman on the team.
Similarly to Osorio, Ng trains outside of practice, always looking for ways to get better. He runs two miles and stays focused with guidance from the coaching staff.
This sport brings along many challenges. Injuries are a very common problem in wrestling and in many other high school sports as well.
“I feel like I’m not putting in 100% right now, but I’ll try my best to do my best,” said Wynn Willkom, a sophomore on the team.
With a mix of dedication, humor, and grit, the Carlmont wrestling team is ready to showcase their hard work in their season opener on Dec. 14. Their efforts reflect a drive to improve as a whole team while still supporting each other and making the most of the season to come.
