12/6 – Andover: 58, St. Paul’s: 43
Record: 1-0-0
Andover All-Gender Wrestling (1-0-0) opened its season against St. Paul’s with a game that had an energetic and supportive atmosphere. Andover emerged victorious, setting a positive tone for its season.
Tasha Bohorad ’26 emphasized how the positive environment acted as a motivator for wrestlers and created a supportive team dynamic.
“The atmosphere was great and the vibes were really good. From the start, everyone was super energized. With both teams, we all cheered for each other. When we would win we would cheer and when St. Paul’s won, we would cheer them on too which made for a really supportive atmosphere all around,” said Bohorad.
In preparation for the meet, the team focused on defending moves that St. Paul’s typically uses. Winston Wall ’25 discussed the team’s efforts to train on these specific techniques leading into the season opener.
“The coaches had told us that a lot of the wrestlers at St. Paul’s run a move called the ‘front headlock’ and then a drag and slide. Before the match, we learned how to do that move and a couple of defenses throughout the move to try and fight against it if it came up in a match. Between the veteran group and the newer wrestlers we worked on this move differently, some of us in a live match setting and others just focusing on how to execute the move,” said Wall.
Bohorad highlighted the determination that James Bae ’26 demonstrated, noting how he overcame exhaustion to pin his opponent and secure a win. Bae’s perseverance not only led to his victory but also provided an inspiring moment for the team.
Bohorad said, “Overall in the meet, I want to shout out James Bae. He was wrestling for the 137 weight class. His match lasted until the third period. It was really tough and really close throughout. Both guys in the match were really tired but James stayed tough and kept going. He eventually got the pin which was super exciting.”
Numerous new wrestlers participated in different weight categories for their inaugural matches. Despite initial intimidation, they managed to overcome their nerves and performed well. Eva Murphy ’25 noted that while the team’s inexperience posed some challenges, it is progressively gaining experience.
“One of our weaknesses is some of the people in our lineup aren’t as experienced. It is the beginning of the season still, and there are many people in the varsity lineup that haven’t wrestled before and this was their first match ever. Everyone worked super hard and gave their best, though,” said Murphy.
Looking ahead, the team aims to accumulate more experience and focus on emulating live match scenarios in practice. Murphy outlined the team’s training approach as they prepare for their upcoming match.
“A lot of the team in practice knows what they are doing and has everything down. But it is really different when you get out onto the mat and it is just you and your opponent. Once we do some more live wrestling we are going to get a better feel for our matches and be able to execute even better than we did today,” said Murphy.
Andover will compete at the Avon Holiday Duals on Saturday.
