Wrestling season ends with a state champ

By Zacchaeus Anderson | Staff Writer |

Wrestling season has come to an end for the Riders and with a state champion.

“The season was pretty good,” head coach Matthew Rydell said. “As a team I don’t think we were as successful as we wanted to be but all that’s forgotten when you have a kid that won at state.”              

Senior Nate Alvarez won state in the 195 weight class.

“I think the reason why the team is so close is because they spend a lot of time with each other and I think that forms a sort of brotherhood knowing that the guy next to him is working just as hard and I think that’s what drove our kids this year,”  Rydell said.

Nate Alvarez pins opponent at districts. Photo by Tatiana Venegas

The varsity team had 18 different meets from November to February. The team traveled more than 4,000 miles this year.

 

“I think something that the teams has had to overcome this season is the fact that there’s going to be injuries just overall its fatigue,” Rydell said. “It’s a really long season and there’s going to be some bumps in the road.”

The team and the school will be celebrating Alvarez tomorrow in a special celebration.

“The thing that pushes this team is they love competing and they want to get better,” Rydell said. “They see someone on the podium and say ‘I want that to be me,’ and I think that’s why I love to coaching wrestling here. We have tough kids and I love that physical part of their game.”