The wrestling team has been kept busy with off-season workouts, regular practices, and now, multiple matches every week. Brooke Bosco, a team captain of the girls’ team, expressed how grateful she was for her teammates and newfound friends this season, stating that she thinks of the team as “a family.” Nya Zuber Chaves, a junior, also notes that hanging out with her teammates before a match distracts her mind and helps calm her nerves. 

Sitkau Rabdau expressed that the “mental toughness” of the sport is what made her first fall in love with it. “It takes a long time to build up that strength in your own brain, but it helps so much throughout the year,” Rabdau said. She is wrestling in a new weight bracket this year, which she has described as her greatest challenge. Still, she is determined to finish the season strong and hopefully qualify for the state tournament. 

Along with this, Decklyn Reece, also a junior, commented that his favorite part of the sport is the hard work and dedication that goes into preparing for a match. Reece explained that the close matches are the toughest. “It’s a lot easier to end a match early, but grinding through the matches when they’re close and there’s only like two minutes left. That’s the hardest thing to overcome.”

Many members have struggled with injuries throughout the season, including Chaves and Bosco, both describing how they have had to work even harder to regain the strength they possessed before their injuries. Chaves described the impact the injury has had on her performance, both physically and mentally. “My biggest obstacle has been my confidence,” Chaves noted. “Feeling like I’m going to fail not only my team but my family too.”

Overall, it is a unanimous goal for each wrestler to qualify for the state tournament. Reece “came up a little short” last year, while Rabdau lost her wildcard pick, so they are determined to be able to go this season. The state tournament will be held in the last week of February at the Idaho Center.