Wrestling is a sport often overlooked by many students at OHS. Many know little of what the sport involves or how the team is doing this season.
In wrestling, there are different weight classes that determine who an individual can wrestle. The weight classes (in lbs) are as follows: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220 and 285. Some weight classes are more competitive than others, due to more athletes falling into that category. The classes that tend to be the most competitive are the 152 to the 182 range, depending on the match. According to ihigh.com, “The most common class to be referred to as difficult is the 170 [lbs.] class. This is due to the large number of people that fall into this class.”
Jim Williams wraps his opponent
The style of wrestling used in the Minnesota High School League is Folkstyle. There are many different styles of wrestling used throughout the world. “Some of us wrestle Freestyle in the offseason,” said junior co-captain Charlie Schmid.
Folkstyle and Freestyle wrestling are similar but have a few distinct differences. Weight classes are usually similar, but other aspects such as the round structure differ. Freestyle can have either two one-minute rounds, or a single five minute round. Folkstyle has two two-to- three-minute rounds, depending upon match format.
The next major difference is in the scoring. In Folkstyle, there are different point values assigned to certain maneuvers, whereas in Freestyle, each maneuver is given one point, except for takedowns, which can be awarded anywhere from one to four points, depending upon the difficulty of the takedown.
Some of the scoring techniques for Folkstyle are as follows: turn an opponent’s back to the mat for three seconds, and the athlete scores two points. Hold the opponent to the mat for five seconds, and the athlete earns three points.
In a takedown, once control is gained of the opponent’s hips and they have three points of balance (arms and legs) on the mat, the athlete earns two points. If they can reverse the position so that they have control of the athlete’s hips, they earn two points. Lastly, if they simply get away so that both are standing with no one in control, it is called an escape and each earns one point.
Pre-match rituals for the team include music and some jogging to get the blood pumping. “I usually do a little running to get my blood flowing and some nervous pacing,” said sophomore co-captain Jackson Striggow.
“For this season, look out for Charlie Schmid,” said senior co-captain Zach Mahan.
Schmid is undefeated this year (14-0) and said he is “excited to see what the rest of the season brings.” “I would like to win the rest of my matches and then hopefully make it to state.”
The boys’ wrestling season is already going to be better than last year, with a record of one and four. “We would like to win another match this season,” said Schmid.
Woody Hust is a Sports Editor for The Spartan Speaks.
