Boys’ Wrestling:

The La Quinta High boys’ wrestling team started the season with a match against Rancho Mirage on Dec. 6.  

Training and competing in this sport is difficult, especially when most athletes have to adjust their diets in order to enhance their performance.

Grant Russell ‘19 spoke about the goals of the team this season. “The season is going good and we have a really good team,” said Russell. “Practices are hard, but being with the team is a lot of fun.”

From Dec. 8-9, the team competed in the Carter Duals tournaments and are continuing their efforts to prepare for their match today, Dec. 13.

“It’s always interesting to see how everyone does in a match,” said Russell. “Wrestling is more of an individual sport but it has team aspects to it as well.” Overall, the team is determined and their goal for the season is to make CIF.

Girls’ Wrestling:

The La Quinta High girls’ wrestling team is on the rise. With a conference match approaching on Dec. 13 against Palm Springs, Jamie Aldinez ‘19 revealed that the hardest part about preparing for a match is maintaining weight.

“I weigh myself at school sometimes to decide whether or not I’m able to eat lunch,” said Aldinez. “Sometimes I won’t be able to eat anything because I need to make weight.”

Aldinez agrees that wrestling is more of an individual sport, yet certain aspects of it make team bonding important. “Making CIF as a team is really important to us,” said Aldinez. “We all get along really well and the matches are a lot of fun.”

They commenced the season with a match against Rancho Mirage on Dec. 6. The girls have been preparing by maintaining a healthy diet, lifting weights, and practicing drills on the mat. “The season is going [well] so far and we have a lot of potential,” added Aldinez. “We are working really hard and there’s a lot to look forward to.”