Wrestling is an inherent struggle. The sport pits individuals against each other in a competition of asserting strength—strength of body, mind, and spirit. Peter Carrell, a senior wrestling team captain entering his third year, can attest to that fact.

“When you know you’ve done everything you could, that’s what you get out of it. If you’re dedicated and work everyday, you’ll see immediate results; it makes you smarter, it makes you stronger. You have to know your body and the other person’s body to wrestle.”

As new wrestlers quickly learn, their sport is unlike most of the ones they usually feel familiar with. Sophomore Stuart Krumins experienced this sharp distinction, as he took up wrestling last year instead of his usual basketball.

“It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. You think it’s WWE stuff, but it’s really not.”

With its strict workouts and intense one against one matchups, wrestling can prove a daunting venture. But this also serves as one of its great attractions.

Krumins said that his sport has taught him, “Never back down or give up. You may have to go out there and wrestle a huge guy, but smaller people have won before.”

This challenge is always rewarding, despite the exact outcome. Sophomore Tim Jensen, a multi-sport athlete, began wrestling for reasons other than winning.

“Wrestlers have really good bodies, and they make me jealous.” He says that he may not have achieved that fitness yet, “but I [Jensen] look at Daniel Ladenburg in the locker room everyday, and I have hope.”

The story is slightly different for wrestlers in the other locker room. The girls that wrestle for Bellarmine have a different experience. They train with the Curtis Girls team for the greater attention and resources available with that larger program, but they still represent Bellarmine in competitions. According to junior Alina Collins, being a girl inevitably changes the experience.

When asked about it, she explained, “It makes you work a lot harder. You always want to prove yourself against the strength of the guys. It’s part of what makes wrestling such a mental struggle as well.”

Currently ranked fourth in state, Collins has her eye on the championship. In the state tournament, every girl wrestler competes against each other, irrespective of school size. So Collins could face another wrestler from a 1A or 2A school.

The boys wrestling team has similar hopes for the future. Jensen said, “I think our team is young and very talented. We’re on the rise, so look for us to improve throughout the season. Like wine, we’ll only get better with age.”

With leaders like Carrell and contenders like Collins, Bellarmine has plenty to root for its wrestling team now, but even more success is sure to come in the future.