Wrestling during pandemic

GRAPPLING WITH THE VIRUS

Wrestling continues despite raging pandemic

JOSH BASS COPY & SPORTS EDITOR | ANDREW CHRISTOFFERSON REPORTER

Two minutes, three rounds. A battle of physical strength and technique to the point of grueling exhaustion. Musty smells, masked by chlorine, assault the nostrils. Loud grunts echo down the relatively empty hallways. It’s wrestling season.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus set normal life ablaze, confining the public to their homes. To combat the spread of the deadly disease, students watched as their schools were shut down and all extracurricular activities came to an abrupt end. However, headway in safety regulations allowed for the return of the winter sports season.

The reintroduction of sports came with an array of necessary COVID-19 restrictions and protocols to ensure safety. With certain sports considered lower risk than others, nobody anticipated the return of wrestling this season.

“I’m just glad that we’re able to wrestle at all. I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen. The fact that we’re practicing and I’m ‘tech-falling’ kids in matches is awesome,” said junior Brigham DeVore, captain of the varsity wrestling team.

In order to meet social distancing and capacity requirements, practices were restructured. Wrestlers held practices in the cafeteria, as opposed to the wrestling room, organized in distanced “pods” of four people according to weight class. Each pod had about the same space as before the pandemic: two circles for four wrestlers, separated by sizable gaps to reduce interaction and potential virus transmission.

Unlike most other sports, wrestlers were not required to wear masks during matches, according to Virginia High School League regulations.

“One thing that makes [restrictions] a little easier on us is that we’re a sport where [matches are] one on one—we can limit how much exposure we have compared to other sports, such as basketball or football where you’re getting a whole bunch of people together,” head coach Kenneth Jackson said.

Despite the various measures the team took to limit COVID-19 cases, some students questioned the effectiveness of certain regulations. For example, wrestlers were prohibited from shaking hands before matches, but they were still allowed to grapple and throw each other into half nelsons as usual.

“[The precautions] put into place are pretty flawed and redundant. Why is [COVID-19] an excuse to not shake hands, when the nature of the sport is to make physical contact with other wrestlers? At that point, they seem to have implemented [the restrictions] just to appease people,” junior Alex Wiltshire said.

Wrestlers also voiced their concerns about the regulations’ impact on their mental and physical state. Several coaches and wrestlers opted out prior to the start of the season.

“We have less experienced people in some good spots that probably would have been filled by more experienced [upperclassmen],” DeVore said. “We’re not able to condition as rigorously as we would normally [because of the precautions].”

Although the safety restrictions made conditions less than ideal, the experience was still a positive one, especially after months of isolation.

“It really just made us all appreciate what we have,” Jackson said. “I had 25 kids show up to conditioning. I would never have had that many show up during normal times, but [now], everybody wants to go out and [work] together with their friends, even if it is six feet apart.”

The wrestling team finished the regular season with a 2-3 record, sending junior wrestlers Nathan Fishman and Brigham DeVore to compete at states. Fishman finished first in the 182-pound weight class at regionals, while DeVore finished second in the 220-pound weight class.

“Even though we didn’t get to wrestle as much as we normally do, I [still] see it as a blessing every time I am able to get on a wrestling mat,” DeVore said. “It was definitely worth it having a season—it gave me the opportunity to do what I love.”

IT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH IT HAVING A SEASON—IT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT I LOVE.”

- BRIGHAM DEVORE JUNIOR

MASKLESS MATCHES — McLean wrestler James Tuason fights his Madison opponent for wrist control in a match on Jan. 9. VHSL regulations did not require wrestlers to wear masks during matches.