Have you ever wondered what a Wrestling team has a lot of? Well, the students on the Spectrum Wrestling team are hard-working and strong students. Even though the wrestling team is full of amazing students, there are only three girls on the team. These girls are Tegan Erickson, Hallie Malenke, and Leah Connolly. Two managers are girls; Scarlet Benner and Addey Dennis. For Erickson, this is her second year as well as for Malenke, and Connolly, this is her first year joining the team. Even though Erickson is a wrestler this year she was also a manager and she said, “Yeah so in seventh grade I managed, and then there was one girl wrestler on the team at the time, she convinced me and then the other managers convinced me, and some of the coaches and my brother. So I was like, might as well try it out.” For Connolly, there was a wrestling unit during gym and she beat everyone she went up against.  

Even though they love wrestling it challenges them, challenges them how? Wrestling challenges students to work hard and to grow. Yet they each have different perspectives on the different challenges when it comes to wrestling. Malenke said, “It challenges you mentally and physically and you can really learn a lot from it and use it outside of wrestling.” Yet she still thinks it’s fun, Connolly said, “It gives you the mindset to be able to do something and to push yourself to the limit that you can”.  Erickson has a different perspective on how wrestling challenges people. This is what she had to convey, “So like, a big thing in wrestling especially like coaches it’s one of the hardest things you’ll do. And I definitely stand by that, it’s really tough, and it teaches you to like, always go 100% with whatever you do. Never take the easy way out because in wrestling that’s not how it works.” 

For these girls, there are many different reasons why they love to be in wrestling. You may ask why do they love wrestling, well this is what they had to say about that. They love wrestling because of the community that they find, also that it pushes them to their limits, and that it’s fun. Connolly loves wrestling because of the matches that she has competed in, and cross-facing other students. Erickson said, “Like every day. Like, I get to spend it with two of the girls on the team are probably my favorite people ever. So just getting to spend every day with them is like, a lot of fun.” This is Erickson’s reason for loving wrestling. 

So have you thought about joining the wrestling team? This is what Erickson, Malenke, and Connolly have to say about joining the wrestling team. Connolly said,  “Probably try it, try it out, see if you like it. It’s a fun sport. ” Malenke said, “Just try it, it’s not for everyone but if you want to give it a try then go for it. ” Erickson said, “Do it, it’s fun”.