School started well whether it be freshmen making new friends and home, either pledging a fraternity or staying independent; or being a senior making the last trip around dreading their senior seminars, but at the same time thinking how fast the last three years flew. There is one thing in common amongst the classes, football season is here, but better yet so is the wrestling season.

 

Pre-season kicked off this Sunday with a cookout at Coach Anderson’s house. We all piled up in about 8 vehicles and made the 10 minute trip from campus only to be welcomed by his Great Dane, Wally. He definitely was a little intimidating; growling and barking, but we all came to find out he is a gentle giant and just wanted out of his pen to play. We sat around talked, played “corn-hole” as us Hoosiers call it, but the more well-known term some of you might know is “Bags,” while others played “hillbilly golf” or once again, another name “ladder ball.” Coach fired up the grill and soon the whole backyard smelt of our tasty meal consisting of delicious brats, hamburgers, hotdogs, and beans. People might think since we’re the wrestling team we couldn’t eat very much, but we sure ate our fair share of food. After supper coach talked to us about the next week and gave a brief summary of some important dates to remember. YES! Pre-season has officially started which also means the first full week of school is down and off to another fine year at Wabash, or for the freshman the beginning of a fine career.

 

Monday comes around and first on the agenda is the “Pizza-Hut Run.” This is a very well-known, but dreaded run for us wrestlers. It is roughly 3.2 miles (not-flat), and starts out on the north side of campus continues south past campus to Pizza-Hut, hence the name, and finally after a few trails we end up on the south side of campus on the track. As I mentioned before we piled up into 8 vehicles, and that is because our incoming freshman class is huge with 20+ wrestlers and great talents amongst them. Normally we would have been finished, but this is a new season, new beginning, and more determination to send us off to nationals so we sprinted a 400 (one-lap around the track) and finally finished with a 12-minute circuit of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 body-squats. End of day one! Day two of pre-season finally we are on the mat. Wrestling and practicing in the summer does not compare to finally wrestling as a team. The captains ran practice, and introduced what we will be doing everyday at the start of the practice. It didn’t take long for the freshman to jump right in and get at it. Granted it is the first time on the mat in awhile people were a bit sluggish and slow, but hey that’s what pre-season is for! After being careful not to run/bump into each other with 40+ guys on the team we finished day two of pre-season with no injuries and spirits high.  Well, after another day of running (sprints) and a second day on the mat (a little less sluggish, but still cramped quarters) brings us to Friday with officially the second week of school over; the 1st week of preseason gone by, and the start of a great season!

 

Jake Moore

Sophomore 157lb