Wrestling gears up for three meets next week

Next Tuesday the Washington High School wreslters will face Benton, HLV and Iowa Valley in a nonconference match-up at the main gym.

?We?ll have a full lineup,? said Washington head coach Brent Van Weelden. ?Obviously, we?ll have some of the younger kids at a couple weights to fill the spot.?

There are 31 boys out for the team this year. The varsity team has a full lineup and will have guys wrestling in 14 weight classes ranging from 106 to 285 pounds.

?In practice we have been working on the fundamentals, getting back into shape and getting our legs into shape,? Van Weelden said.

During the offseason, open mat times were held and a lot of the wrestlers lifted weights, which has helped with keeping them conditioned, he added.

The team also has high expectations for this year?s season.

?The team goal is to win conference,? Van Weelden said. ?We?ve done that the last four years. We also want to get back to the state duals. We have a lot of guys who want to do better at the state meet, especially our seniors.?

Seven of the 31 wrestlers are seniors and have taken a leadership role on the team.

?We really focus on our seniors to be leaders,? Van Weelden added. ?So far this year they?ve done a good job both in work ethic and [being] vocal, getting kids to push themselves.?

The seniors include: Kyle Anderson, Karlton Skubal, Alex Latcham, Trey Van Weelden, Lane Keeler, Andrew Waite and Austin Hazelett.

?We?ve been working on getting better as a team rather than individually,? Trey said. ?We try to motivate each other in practice to where everybody has a role. The people that aren?t necessarily in the varsity lineup, they need to work hard, so they can contribute to making the people that aren?t in the lineup get better.?

Besides the nonconference meet, Washington will travel to Davenport to wrestle against Assumption and Mediapolis, Thursday, Dec. 1, and to Cascade, Friday, Dec. 2, to face Bellevue, Maquoketa Valley, Maquoketa, Mar Mac, Starmont and Cascade.

?Our second dual is Assumption and Mediapolis,? Skubal said. ?I think the fact that we get to wrestle Assumption again is going to keep us locked in.?

All but one senior has wrestled since second grade in Washington?s Mat Backer?s youth wrestling program. This has helped establish camaraderie with the seniors.

?We obviously like it [wrestling],? Waite said, ?but it?s more like we?re a family and grown up together, so we just do it together.?