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Wrestlers
may be
turning
the corner
The coming of the New Year and the change of the calendar may also have signaled a turning of the corner for The Woodstock Academy wrestling team.
The Centaurs won their first dual match of the season last week and also performed well at the Nonnewaug Invitational in Woodbury.
“The team is beginning to gel more and find the discipline needed to wrestle well,” said coach Wes Jenkins. “They have been more supportive of one another on the sidelines and have taken practice more seriously.”
Another key for Jenkins and his charges has been the team has settled in at their weights.
That means fewer holes in the lineup.
The Academy now has only three weights, 170, 182 and 285 pounds that are not filled on a regular basis.
The Centaurs (1-7) had three pins against the Vikings in the 48-18 win Jan. 3.
Peter Spada recorded his fourth win by pin this season, tops on the team, at 152 pounds.
Patrick Barrows added his second pin of the season to score a victory at 195 pounds while Dan Ntamwemezi added a pin at 220.
Kellen Horst (109 pounds), Adam Schimmelpfennig (120), Elliot Hellwig (126), Jake Straub (132) and Ben Holden (160) were all the beneficiaries of East Lyme (2-5) forfeits.
The Centaurs finished eighth out of 14 teams at the Nonnewaug Invitational Jan. 6.
Barrows and Ntamwemezi both recorded third-place finishes while Holden placed fourth overall. Horst and Aeden Noel took sixth-place finishes.
“We’re starting to rally around individuals who are winning,” Jenkins said. “It was awesome to see the whole team hug Dan after his hard fought, third-place finish.”
The first-year coach is optimistic about immediate future success with a match against Bacon Academy, the Griswold Invitational and a dual with Pomfret School on tap.
“Those events are all at our caliber and can lead us to some wins both individually and as a team,” Jenkins said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director