The Impact of Wrestling Having a Full Lineup This Season

Credit to File Photo

Senior Bon Jang wrestles in a match against Timberland on Jan. 11. The team lost this match with a final score of 15-54. More than half of Timberland’s team points were earned because FHN had to forfeit matches due to not having a wrestler in a weight class where Timberland did.

By Hannah Wilson
Published: December 13, 2017

This year, the wrestling team has almost a full roster, meaning that they have a wrestler in almost every weight class. In wrestling, there are specific weight classes that someone can compete in.

“[Having a full roster] always helps, every single time,” junior and varsity wrestler Dillon Lauer said. “If you could fill all 14 weight classes, you have the best chance at winning, even if they’re not the best kids in every weight class.”

The weight classes range from 106 pounds to 285 pounds. The team has someone in every weight class except for 106 pounds and heavyweight, 285 pounds. Senior Bon Jang  has been filling in for the heavyweight spot until he is able to drop a weight class. Head coach Chris Brown has been at FHN for about 17 years, but he can’t remember a time when the team has had a full lineup. With it being so uncommon, he’s looking for ways to be more consistent in the future.

“That’s the culture I’m changing,” Brown said. “I’m trying to get more kids included in wrestling. We’re starting to see that with an increased number of kids trying the sport and staying out for it.”

The catch is that the wrestler has to stay in the same weight class, which means that his weight can’t change. Because a wrestler has to be within a certain range to be in a specific weight class, the team focuses on maintaining their weight. They do this by practicing every day, watching what they eat and getting in extra workouts, like running and weight lifting.

“[Maintaining my weight] is hard sometimes,” Lauer said. “My mom gets a lot of junk food, so that’s hard. My freshman year I was really bad at it, but I learned over the years that it’s better to try and maintain your weight because if you have to lose the weight the day of, you’re going to be really tired during your match.”

It is common to find someone in every weight class at schools like FHHS, Timberland and FHC. With 13 of the 14 spots already filled, Brown is searching for the last wrestler to fill the roster.

“If you weigh around 106 pounds, I would love to have you on my team,” Brown said.