Despite only fielding one senior, the boys wrestling team is focused on working hard and sharpening their mentality this season with a new set of leaders.
Landon Jayne is the only senior on the team this year and, with a cast of younger leaders, is helping the boys team start the season strong.
“We’ve been coming out to compete at a way higher level than we did before, and it’s going pretty good this season,” Jayne said.
The team opened its season with three dual wins at Burlington, which head coach Miles Cleveland said was a nice way to open the year and boost the team’s confidence.
“They’re kind of holding each other accountable and making each other work hard,” he said.
Junior Hawken Andrews has stepped into a leadership role this year and said he is focused on being coachable and helping others.
“I’ve always been told your goal is not to be the best in the room, but always the hardest worker every single time,” he said.
One of the team’s strengths early in the year has been a new mentality, giving them a sharper competitive edge.
“The new environment and new energy and just a lot of our team having a little more experience from last year, that helps a lot,” sophomore Newt Schreiner said.
Schreiner said one goal is for the team to have a short memory. No matter what happens, he wants the team to be ready to keep practicing hard the next day.
Younger wrestlers like Schreiner have stepped up to fill out the Cardinals’ roster, Cleveland said. Their talent has impressed him early in the season.
Cleveland said the team’s driven leaders have made the job of the coaching staff easy, even joking that they sometimes refer to themselves as “glorified bus drivers.”
“We drive them to and from, but it’s up to them to wrestle,” he said. “And it’s kind of the same in the practice room. As long as they’re doing the right stuff and working hard and holding each other accountable, it just kind of rights its own ship at that point.”
Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
