The Manitou Springs High School’s wrestling team will officially start their season on Nov. 17 and it will last about 3 months going into February and March. Currently, the wrestling team is practicing Tuesday through Thursday every week to prepare for their upcoming season.
Wrestling is a heavy contact sport, where two athletes must work to pin the other to the ground on both of their shoulder blades. They must be pinned for 3 seconds in order for the referee to make the call. It takes endurance and strength, along with a strong mindset to keep pushing and keep practicing. But Manitou’s wrestlers and coaches are looking to improve from last season even with some of the girls making state. “The girls did really well as the four who ended the season all qualified for state and had two state placers,” wrestling coach Paul Bonner said.
Last year the four of the girls on the wrestling team made state and this was a huge achievement for the team and the players that qualified and placed. Bonner said he thinks the girls will make it to state again. “But I mean, nothing’s guaranteed, and they’re going to have to earn it again like they did last year,” Bonner said.
Wrestler Quinn Morris (11) hopes to see more state placers this year because it’s always such a cool feeling. “I want to see high morale on the team and everyone be in good health this season,” he said.
Not many boys made state last year, partly because the boys were younger and less experienced.
Morris is currently in his second year of wrestling, and even with an injury last season with his collarbone, he still wants to push through and improve. He likes the grueling aspect of the sport. “I also just like this competition style where it’s like you’re battling your own mentality whilst you’re going against this kid, and you equally want to win,” Morris said. “It’s really just a clash, and that’s why I think I was drawn to wrestling.”
Morris enjoys his team, the sport and toughing through hard moments to be with his team. “I always loved the atmosphere. When I broke my collarbone, I still came every single day to practice because it felt like another home,” Morris said.
Injuries are common in such high contact sports with bruises, rashes and occasionally broken bones.
Hannah Rickert (10) is in her second year of high school wrestling and was one of the girls to make state last year. She also had an injury during a meet. “I was dropped on my shoulder and neck last season during state, which caused me to not be able to perform my best,” Rickert said.
Rickert says there’s not much you can do to avoid injury. She feels that when you are wrestling you may not always be in control of your body or how the other wrestler may perform. “I’m still gonna push my limits so that I can still improve,” Rickert said.
Rickert is ready for the upcoming freshmen. She says she has doubts on having more than two come to the team this year. “I know that we’re gonna have some girls, but I know that the eighth graders tend to be a little bit uncomfortable going out of their comfort zone,” Rickert said.
To some of the athletes, the team and the sport feel like another home. “All these kids like sharing the same experiences, the same fear, the same confidence, the same everything. It’s just such an amazing, amazing team,” Morris said.
Despite having to endure injury, the team feels ready for a great season and the new wrestlers coming into the sport. “It’s so much fun. And if you think it’s anything else, then that’s your problem because you haven’t tried it, and it’s so worth it,” Rickert said.
