With a record of 7-8, the varsity wrestling team was able to earn three victories at their home meet against Stone Bridge, Thomas Jefferson and Hayfield on Jan. 12. The final score in the match against Stone Bride was 45–28, against Hayfield was 39–30 and against Jefferson was 53–12. These three wins were critical, as it gave the team confidence as they begin to look ahead to the Patriot District Tournament.
“I thought the team did really well today. We won a lot of matches and worked hard,” sophomore Ulugbeck Israilov said.
In the match against Hayfield, the Atoms were led by pins from senior Jon Le in the 112 lb. weight class, junior Rawand Shamdin in 119 lb. weight class, junior Andy Stratton in the 189 lb. weight class, junior Allen Cabrera in the 160 lb. weight class, and sophomore Jack Johnson in the 135 lb. weight class. Against Stone Bridge, Stratton, senior Hayden Assopiah, junior Ali Musa, junior John McCollom and junior Fred Nsiah all pinned their opponents.
“We were good today, but we still need to work on skills especially before districts and some other really tough meets. I think the hardest part is the fact that I’m out there alone,” Le said.
The team was without junior Dane Harlowe, the state runner-up last year in the 125 lb. weight class. Harlowe suffered an injury in his first match against Hayfield and could not compete against Stone Bridge or Jefferson.
Head Coach Keith Sholders cited “kids working hard and listening to their coach,” as a key component in the victories. Sholders knows from experience what it takes to achieve success on the mat having been a college wrestler himself.
Wrestling did very well at their recent meet, but some team members are beginning to be concerned about their skill level and abilities to do well at districts.
The Free Lance-Star Super 32 at Riverbend on Jan. 14 and 15. was another tournament that the wrestlers used to prepare for the post season, but the results of that tournament ended after publication time.
The Atoms have rebounded from some tough early season losses with these consecutive wins and have proven to be a challenger for upcoming meets and at the district tournament.
More information about the varsity wrestling team including schedule and roster can be found online at www.annandaleatoms.com.
