The Pitman High Wrestling team is preparing for a double leg and the season is just around the corner (November 15). Students, staff and families have their calendars marked! Pitman High has been successful with their sports and academics and wrestling is just a cherry on top.

Last season (2016-2017) was the best wrestling season in school history. The Pride won the Sectional Championship and they sent five athletes to State and they came back with TWO medals. The goal obviously is to repeat last season or even do better.

  Mark Jimenez, a student at Pitman is ready to take on his last year as a senior. He has been on the team since freshman year and he states “Last year was totally great! I placed in every tournament but this year I want to improve.”

His biggest challenge for this year he said in going to be “rumble in the jungle and to get the belt”. This is possible by working 110% each day. What he likes about the team is that everyone is uplifting and they lose and win as a team.

Wrestlers at Pitman are working extremely hard every day to get prepared for the season and to defend the Championship they won last year.

The wrestlers all take preseason very seriously and have already started workouts. Their current routine for preseason is they wrestle Tuesday’s and Thursday’s and lift weights Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday’s.

Mr.Vasconcellos, head coach of the team said his goal for this upcoming season is to “Defend the Championship and send SIX kids to state. I want the kids to improve everyday and wants them to focus on what’s in front of them not what’s ahead. I would also like to see them develop as young men and continue to work hard.”

Wrestling is one of the toughest and most precise high school sports. There is a lot of hard work you have to put in and many may not want to do this because the uniform, the contact with another person or many other factors but when your hand is the one raised at the end of the match, it is all worth it.