During the 2018-19 school year, the Eaglecrest Wrestling team came out victorious in many ways. The boys wrestling team ended their season with various athletes receiving state wide recognition. As for the girls wrestling team, multiple female athletes won more matches than not. Although the season ended for this school year, the success these teams had continues to be known throughout the school.

Being a part of the wrestling team teaches students how to become successful athletes. According to female wrestler Savannah Smith, “being a wrestler, you learn lessons about family, mentality, ability, and the balance of being an athlete as well as a student.” The way a sport such as this develops certain strengths within a student athlete allows for more success within that individual’s life. Smith ended the season with a streak of 25 wins and 13 loses. She is proud of the success and experiences she had throughout the season. Another female wrestler, Clarissa Osuna, mentioned how her favorite part of the season was, “going to Texas for a tournament and getting to bond more with [her] teammates” allowing herself to get more connected within the sport and fellow athletes.

As a wrestler, you are faced with challenges along the way. For Osuna, the challenge she was faced with was, “confidence with [her] performance” but mentioned how “wrestling helps [her] as a person with always having a goal so [she] can have some purpose” allowing her to overcome her challenges and continue thriving.

Senior male wrestler Micah Sterling also faced a challenge during the season, “getting mentally ready for a match.” Being an athlete and student is not easy, and trying to prepare yourself for a match can be very difficult. Sterling was able to mentally prepare himself because for him, “once you wrestle everything is easier in life” proving how a sport itself can ease the load off of other difficulties in life. Even through these challenges, Sterling was victorious as he was a two time state qualifier, and placed 4th in the state tournament. His fellow athlete Caeleb Knoll, faced a personal challenge of losing weight and “trying to work as hard as [he] could in the wrestling room.” The fact that, “wrestling also teaches you discipline and really [drives] you to be the best you can be” it allowed Knoll to follow a successful pathway. Knoll currently is a 2X state qualifier, regional champion, and reached top 8 at the state tournament.

“Being a part of a great wrestling team with the best coaches feels amazing and made me mentally tough” commented Senior male wrestler Osman Yigit Topuz. After, “working hard for the regionals and state I got my technique better and my technique dominated most of the guys in my weight class” exclaimed Topuz after overcoming challenges during the season. The more work an athlete puts into what they love, the more of an outcome they will have from it. For Topuz, “Wrestling gave [him a] dream to become an all-American wrestler in college”, his motivation was clear as he ended the season as a Regional Finalist, and was 5th place at the state tournament.

Being a part of a life changing sport such as this “[helps] [you] to persevere through the hard things in life” in the opinion of wrestler Tyler Maccagnan. The more you develop skill and dedication the more you grow as an individual and can push through hard things in life. The 2X Uintah Tournament of Champions finalist, 3X state qualifier, Colby Duals Outstanding Wrestler, and 3rd place at the state tournament victor testifies to how impactful wrestling was for him and will “continue to love the sport of wrestling.”

Wrestling is a sport where you fall and get up. For each of these athletes that is exactly what they did, and continue to do. As we await for what the 2019-20 wrestling season will bring, the Eaglecrest Wrestling team will remain victorious throughout the nest and our community.