The Triton team that has not had a losing season in the past 23 years. The Triton team that has won two CAL titles in the past three years. The Triton team that has produced 3 state champions in the past three years. Triton’s wrestling team brings plenty of prestige to Triton’s athletics.

Rostering thirty-one students as of December, Triton’s wrestling team is working to defend it’s CAL Champ title in the 2018-19 season. Adding more than 10 wrestlers to the roster, the wrestling team is pretty young, but still maintains the morals that has carried the team to be such success.

Practicing five days a week, Monday – Friday from 2:45 to 4:45, the wrestling team started pre-season captain practices in early October. The first week after Thanksgiving was when the regular season started. Each practice is started by a recurring battle; who is going to mop the mat? Once that is decided, the mat is cleaned and the pre-workout begins.

“I always get stuck mopping, but someone’s gotta do it,” says freshman Alex Montes.

The team jogs in a circle around the mat, warming up with exercises like bear crawls, skips, and high knees. Once the blood gets flowing, the team forms a circle around the mat and does jumping jacks, crunches, and pushups together. Then comes the gymnastics. Wrestlers do rolls, cartwheels, roundoffs, and walk on their hands, to practice agility and dexterity. Next, carries begin. Wrestlers partner up, carrying each other, using fireman carries, body drags, and sometimes even baby carries, around the mat room. Occasionally after carries, strength training is done between partners too. Starting with partner squats, wrestlers use their partners as weights, and squat them. Partner push ups and sit-ups are also done, still using partners as equipment. Next comes conditioning, the most brutal part of practice. Three to five sets of spins, skis, and shoot- under hop-overs will always push one to his or her limits. The sets for conditioning usually start at 45 seconds, but progressively increase throughout the season. Spins are when one wrestler literally spins on top of another, using all of his energy to propel himself like a top. The wrestler being spun on is in the traditional wrestling referee position, and lets the other spin on his back. It may sound easy, but spins are by far the most draining exercise during a wrestling practice. Shoot-under hop-overs is similar to leapfrog, except one partner repeats the motion, shooting through the legs, and leaping over the back. For skis, one partner lays down and the other jumps side to side, over the others back. Once three sets in, sprints start to take place, which is when the team pushes each other to the limits, using the last of their energy for 15-second bursts. Finally, after sprints finish around 3:40, the fun begins.

“Sixty second spins, have fun. You just get dizzy and fatigued and feel like you’re gonna throw up,” said senior captain, Jon Rolfe.

The team is split up into two groups, usually by size, sending one group to run, and the other to practice wrestling form and technique. Running is self explanatory, the group runs for between 15 – 20 minutes. Form and technique teaches different ways to wrestle. Taught by Coach Brandon Hayes, Triton Wrestlers learn moves like halves, cradles, shots, arm bars, throws, and headlocks.

“Drilling is my favorite part of practice.” Said junior, Jack O’keefe.

Wrestlers drill and practice on each other, and once the 15-20 minutes pass, the groups switch. After both groups have run and practiced, the team regroups in the mat room and starts live wrestling. Focusing more on actual wrestling and competition, wrestlers are either partnered up or put into groups of 3-4 where they wrestle for the rest of practice. Since it is practice, wrestlers don’t try to kill each other, but the intensity is still there. High pace and aggressive wrestling fries the last of what the team has. Once all wrestling is done, usually around 4:45, the team does 60 seconds, which is running in place as fast as possible, and sprawling whenever instructed to. Now, with everything finished, wrestlers puts their hands together.

“One-two-three, Triton Pride” The team chants at the end of each practice, but this phrase means much more than just Triton Pride. The phrase is what brings the team together, it reminds wrestlers what they’re working for and who they’re working with. It brings the team together as a family, knowing that what you’re going through others are going through too. The exhausting practices brings the team together, but the brutal conditions wrestling has to offer does too. Knowing that you aren’t the only who has to make weight the next day and can’t eat today is comforting.

“It feels better knowing Anthony and I both get to only eat one grape for dinner.” said junior Josh Stevens.

While every other school activity makes sure their participants are well fed, wrestling does not that have that luxury. Knowing others have to suffer with you brings the team together. Knowing that no other school activity has the confinements that you do, and when you’re struggling at lunch because you’re the only one not eating at your lunch table, you’re reminded that your teammates feel the same and face the same hardships that no one else in the school comes close to facing. The Wrestling teams last 23 years of winning seasons didn’t come from luck. Working harder than other teams every season, pushing through the struggle, and connecting with the team at a deeper level is what brought it.

Looking at the 2019 season, good things are in sight for the defending CAL champs, but Coach Sean (Mac) McElligott is still looking for people to join the line up. For any questions, see Mac in the history hallway, or any wrestler, the team is looking for anyone.