Since 1999, the Nixa wrestling team has accomplished district championships and formed a girls wrestling team in 2018. Now the wrestling team is ready for another season.
Wrestling is one-on-one competition — boys against boys and girls against girls. They went to open mat and weight lifting practices to prepare for the season.
The season for wrestling started on Nov. 4. Nixa wrestling coach Dustin Martin has been coaching for 12 years and has been wrestling since he was in second grade. Martin was on Nixa’s first wrestling team and graduated in 2003. Martin has coached at Logan-Rogersville for two years and is continuing his coaching at Nixa.
“I really enjoyed wrestling,” Martin said. “When I was in high school and in college I wrestled, and I always thought it would be fun to have a career that was about wrestling, so that was probably the largest reason to stay involved in the sport. I think it is fun to work with athletes and help them improve their skills.”
Junior Dylan Carter has been wrestling for five years. He said he is looking forward to another year on the mat. Carter wants to be able to push himself so that he is ready to go into the military in the future.
“My biggest challenge would be not having much experience as my opponent, so I did my best to overcome that by being stronger and working hard,” Carter said.
The wrestling team this year is focusing a lot on just being a stronger team.
“To get better and win matches is honestly the same [goal] every year,” Martin said. “I say wrestling is an individual sport, and it is, but it has a team aspect of it. Being a good teammate, and focusing on that breaks down to everyone taking care of their own individual needs and the team will be better off.”
Nine girls were on the girls team last year, and while only two graduated, they are expecting many newcomers. The girls practice with the boys. The girls team was top 15 in state last year.
Senior Chloe Brower has started wrestling this past year and said she cannot wait for another season, even though it will be her last at Nixa.
“Honestly, it’s a joyful, happy, and positive feeling to always motivate myself to get up on that mat and try my best,“ Brower said.
The wrestling team graduated two girls and four boys off of the team this past year. The wrestlers hope to make it to be the top two teams at conference and top ten at State.
“I would like to at least go to State this year because I have been close the last two years,” Carter said. “I am lifting and working on technique, and that should help.”
Martin said he likes seeing the wrestlers improve over the years.
“That is absolutely the goal is as their last year of wrestling and it is always rewarding as a coach to see senior doing well and it is more than anything makes me happy for them that they’re reading benefits of hard work over four years and winning matches and doing successful,“ Martin said.