On January 3rd and 4th, Barlow’s varsity wrestling team went down to McMinnville to compete in a tournament. A Barlow wrestler explained that the tournament had started out pretty slow, but was run really well and another said that it was organized well and was grateful they had the brackets posted early.
These tournaments generally consist of a bracket, usually with 16-32 men or women. Every competitor is put into a category by their weight and gender. As each round passes, the number of wrestlers still competing for first place decreases. The biggest dividing factor on whether or not you place at a tournament is something called blood rounds. This round occurs during quarter-final matches as well as when you begin to wrestle for third.
Varsity players Abby Richard, a junior, and James Korman, a senior, both got first place in their categories. Richard talked about how much of an incredible experience it was to make it to the finals. “It felt like all the hard work and sacrifices had finally paid off, but I knew I still had to stay focused and finish strong,” Richard stated. Korman agreed saying, “It felt really good, it was a big accomplishment.” Richard shared, “One of the highlights was winning a tough semifinal match that came down to the last seconds, but the hardest part was staying mentally strong after a rough start and not letting it ruin my confidence.” Korman then explained, “My highlight from this tournament was all of the wins I got and my lowlight was when I almost lost my semifinal match.”
Richard went over how during her matches, she stayed focused on her training, breaking her match into smaller goals. For example, scoring the first takedown or even escaping quickly. Korman shared that his thought process is to try and be smart with how he moved and what he did, but he also wanted to finish quickly since the tournament was long and tiring. Richard continued by saying, “Wrestling has been such a big part of my life for the past three years and my favorite part is the one-on-one aspect. It’s all about what you bring to the mat and how hard you work.” Korman said, “My favorite part was just competing, I love it and I have been doing it for 4 years.”
Richard advised, “For JV wrestlers, I would tell them to stay patient and consistent because improvement takes time. For anyone thinking about starting wrestling, just go for it. It is tough but it’s also very rewarding and will teach you so much about discipline, strength, and perseverance.” Korman gave a little piece of advice too, “Don’t give up on it ever because you never know the potential you might have if you continue to work hard.”
