After a league-winning season last year, Carlmont’s wrestling team is preparing to perform this year.
The popularity of wrestling is on the rise. More and more participation is seen within the sport, especially in high school teams. Carlmont is a great example of this.
“Our wrestling team is up and rising. It is an amazing sport,” said sophomore Aubrey Button.
A few wrestlers chose not to continue with the sport, although the turnout of new students was good.
“My choice to quit wrestling was based primarily on my love and passion for another sport,” Button said. “I enjoyed being on the team a lot. The community I had was super supportive.”
The coaches are all super welcoming, and so are the players. Joining the wrestling team wasn’t super scary.
— Sydney O'Donnell
Along with building a rewarding environment, there are hopes to have a repeat of last year’s season, which included a Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) title win and qualification for the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs.
“We sent shockwaves through the league. We were a small school, in a small division, with a brand-new program, and we won the league,” said head coach Ricardo García. “It’s exciting because people know that we have potential, and they’re going to be coming after us, but I don’t feel the pressure.”
Most of the team is boys, but girls still joined.
“It’s definitely a masculine energy, but it’s still really fun,” said junior Sydney O’Donnell.
Throughout the years, there has always been a more significant amount of boys than girls. It’s a common trend in the sport. Despite this gender gap, Carlmont can expand the team substantially.
Restarting the program four years ago after getting cut in the 1980s, García and the other coaches have high hopes for the upcoming season and are working hard to prepare for it.
