When Dani Nugent ’25 steps onto the mat, her focus is unwavering, her technique is “crazy good,” and her passion is unmistakable. As Co-Captain of All-Gender Wrestling, Nugent embodies the grit, camaraderie, and leadership that defines the program. But her journey in wrestling began long before Andover, rooted in family and inspiration.
For Nugent, the youngest of five siblings and a father who are all in wrestling, the sport became a way of life. Although her father, a Boston College wrestling alum, initially prohibited Nugent and her two older sisters from wrestling due to the lack of female representation in the sport, the sisters’ resilience finally prompted her father to train them.
“He originally got my brothers into the sport, but I have two sisters and we got kind of jealous watching them go off to practice. Eventually, we asked him if he could sign us up too. He at first said ‘No, there’s not a lot of girls in the sport.’ But we were persistent. We begged, we asked a few times, and eventually, he got us into the room. I am the youngest of five, so I’m lucky to start at the youngest age and have the most time in the sport,” said Nugent.
Yet Nugent’s father is not the only reason for her success. Her older brother, Colin Nugent ’23, was a previous wrestling captain and was on the team with Nugent for two years. Having watched him compete at all the meets, even before Andover, Nugent knew she wanted to come to Andover and follow her brother’s steps.
“My brother has been my biggest role model as a captain because I really liked the way he’s been able to lead the team and influence the team with his technique. I know there’s been a lot of great opportunities that, as captains, we’ve been able to show moves in practice and help out after practice if other kids have questions. Just being able to implement stuff that we’ve been able to learn from our years of experience — I learned that from my brother and all the captains, honestly,” said Nugent.
Although wrestling may seem like an individual sport, Nugent sees it differently. Having teammates beside her during every meet, she always feels guided and supported on the mat.
“Wrestling is an individual sport… When we’re on the mat, we’re all out there alone, but your team is a big factor on the side of the mat. How they’re cheering you on. We have a really invested team — everyone cares about each other. For every match, we have 30 kids on the sidelines watching you, cheering you on, helping guide you through that match. So, you’re really not alone in that, and that’s one of the best parts of Andover Wrestling,” said Nugent.
Nugent’s dedication to the sport and investment in the development of other wrestlers in the program sets her apart as a truly great leader. Nugent’s unwavering focus and dedication to others have influenced her teammates’ success.
“Dani is probably the most hard-working person on the team. She’s there before practice and after practice, working extra. And you can definitely see all of that in her matches. She is so focused during her matches, and she does moves which are just crazy good. But she’s also never afraid to help people. If someone comes up to her and asks her to show a specific move, last year I definitely did a few times, she’ll stay late after practice to help. And that shows just how great of a leader she is,” said Bella Shmuylovich ’26.
Andover Wrestling Head Coach Kassie Bateman ’06 illustrated another facet of Nugent’s wrestling identity: tenacity. She recounts a tournament in Nugent’s Junior year when she lost in a championship round by pin. However, Coach Batemen details Nugent’s perseverance in wrestling the same opponent for the third-place match in her Junior year, learning from her previous mistakes and winning.
“Dani is one of the most mentally tough wrestlers I know, and her mental game has only gotten better. At a tournament, it’s possible to compete against the same wrestler twice if you both end up in the consolation round. Her Junior year, Dani lost to a wrestler in the championship round by pin, and then she had to wrestle him again for third place. Many wrestlers would have mentally gone into that match thinking they would lose; Dani learned from her previous mistakes, and she won 2-0,” said Coach Bateman.
Nugent will leave a legacy at Andover Wrestling in the spring. A legacy of excellence, an unfailing passion for the sport, and a fierce commitment to her teammates and the wrestling team as a whole. Other than leading and guiding her teammates throughout Nationals, she also has the best snacks to uplift her teammates after a cruel weight-cutting process.
“At Nationals last year, she was really supportive. It was the first time for me and a lot of other kids were going to nationals, or really any bigger type of competition. She was extremely supportive and explained how everything worked, and just led us all through it which was great… After weigh-ins she always breaks out snack baggies; she has the best snacks,” said Shmuylovich.
