The varsity wrestling team will compete at the state competition this weekend at the Berry center in Cypress, with 16 qualifiers and two alternates.
At regionals, the boys placed first as a team, and the girls placed second.
“What happened on Saturday was not a result of Saturday,” head wrestling coach Tim Clarkson said. “It is a result of how hard we work all the time, and the preparation that the kids put in.”
The state bound wrestling team poses for a photo after their send off on Feb. 14.
The team began practices in early October, and their first meet was in November. Last month, they competed at the State Duals tournament, and the boys placed second.
“By the time we get to this point in the year, all of our wrestlers are in shape,” Clarkson said. “They should know how to do all the things that they do, and they are not going to learn how to do those things or get more in shape with just one week left, so we are just fine tuning what we do, polishing up some things that we need to work on, and doing our best to make sure that our kids are healthy and that they’re best for competition.”
Senior Svala Starcher placed second at regionals and got her 100th career win at the meet.
“That match was competing to compete for first, so knowing I won that match meant I was qualified for state,” she said. “It was like all of my work that I did to get to this point paid off.”
Starcher is a three year regional qualifier, but this is the first time she has qualified for the state competition.
“Being on the podium was cool, but it almost felt eerie,” she said. “It being my last year wrestling, it was like everything that you do in this sport will pay off, and that’s an incredible feeling.”
Senior Nick Dudzikowski got his 100th career win earlier this season and placed first at regionals. As a member of the state qualifying football team, this is the second sport he has gone to state for this school year.
“It’s a different feeling,” Dudzikowski said. “There’s obviously a team aspect in both, but wrestling seems more significant because there is more of an individual accomplishment.”
The wrestling team leaves for Cypress on Thursday, and the competition starts early Friday morning.
“I’m always concerned that somebody’s going to be injured, get sick, or have something happen,” Clarkson said, “but you just have to trust that you’re gonna load up all the kids, go to Houston, and the kids are going to do their best.”
