Every member of the wrestling team this season is a first-year wrestler. Despite the inexperience of his players, wrestling coach Kristian Wahlgren said he believes in his team’s ability to perform. 

With having a team of first-year wrestlers, Wahlgren said it was very rewarding as a coach to see the growth of each individual wrestler and collectively as a team all throughout the season.

“It was phenomenal to see the growth in each wrestler,” she said. “Various wrestlers had certain moments throughout the year where they were really starting to connect the moves.  It is a lot of hard work and it’s almost a shame that the season’s coming to an end because for a lot of them, it’s coming together right now.” 

Wahlgren supports his whole team and encourages them to all do their best regardless of the result. 

“What I told the guys from day one is that my definition of success is not wins and losses, it’s getting a move that you haven’t been able to do,” she said. “It’s getting a takedown that you weren’t expecting to get. It’s trying a new move out there and successfully completing it. It’s giving 110% and keeping your head high regardless of what the outcome is and representing Westview as best you can.” 

Throughout the season, Wahlgren and his team worked hard to improve.

Wahlgren said that captain Andrew Olfato (12) has a positive attitude and demonstrates phenomenal sportsmanship and although he had little experience going into wrestling, he proved his ability during the season. 

“He works very hard,” Wahlgren said. “Sometimes I actually have to encourage him to slow down a little bit. In wrestling, you have to be very aggressive and you have to show a lot of physicality. But, you also have to show control with your moves as well. So, one of the attributes that led him to be captain is [that] he goes 110% all the time.”

One of Olfato’s friends convinced him to join wrestling for his last year of high school.  He decided to pursue it because it gave him the opportunity to try a new sport that he didn’t really understand. 

“I went from having literally no knowledge in technique or the sport itself, to having a good amount of knowledge with the sport as a whole,” he said. “Practicing every day pounded different moves, techniques, and an understanding of wrestling below the surface level.” 

With all the efforts and practice, Olfato and the rest of his team were able to finish CIFs. Although they weren’t able to place, overall, Oflato said that his CIFs were a good experience. 

“It didn’t play out how I wanted it to, but being there felt amazing and it was an experience I don’t regret whatsoever,” Olfato said. “It seemed like everyone was excited to be there and the atmosphere was nothing like I have felt.”