Oliver Ames wrestling begins the season with confidence due to the amount of hard work and effort put into their off-season. Last year the Tigers finished with a record of 15-15-0.
Jonah Bornstein, Senior, is one of the Captains this season. He currently has 94 wins and could potentially break the school record of 135 wins. Seniors last year have left a good expectation for Jonah to lead the team.
“I feel pretty confident about the team going into the season. A lot of people have been working hard in the offseason and I think a lot of our team is starting to really get the hang of it,” he said. “We have a ton of potential and I think some people on our team will finally get to display their potential on the mat.”
This year the wrestling team has a new Head Coach, George Cowan. Coach Cowan, an OA alumni, used to be the assistant coach in the previous years so this year will look and feel different.
“This year will be different compared to last year with the loss of our former Head Coach John McKeon along with the loss of some highly skilled seniors,” Cowan said. “Mckeon left the team in a good position to bounce back with a young core of wrestlers ready to step in for those graduates.”
Cowan said the goal is growth.
“We look to keep improving daily so we can keep taking steps forward to achieve our goals. The current coaching staff includes Timmy Gover, Brantly Holmes, and Adam Pomella. I know they will all work hard to help the team achieve their goals.
Multiple kids have signed up for Wrestling this season. It’s exciting to see the new people on the mat including the Vets. Bornstein said it will be a helpful hand to teach some of the basics and warm ups to new wrestlers.
“There is a lot of responsibility being a captain. Aside from the normal captain responsibilities of leading practices, helping to organize, and manage the team. Wrestling provides some unique responsibilities because wrestling is a sport that many people are doing for the very first time in high school,” Bornstein said.
“It’s partially my responsibility to help teach them the sport along with the coaches. In addition to this, wrestling is a really hard sport so it’s very important that I create an environment where people enjoy the sport and being with the team and don’t quit when it gets hard.”
Coach Cowan and the other coaches want to make sure that they can do whatever it takes for their wrestlers.
“Every match is important in its own way whether it be a sectional matchup for individual seeding for post season tournaments or league matchups to try to win a league championship,” Cowan said. “Me and the other coaches just want to put the kids and team in the best position possible to succeed on and off the mat.”
