Caleb Beroukhim ’27 wrestles Roxbury Latin opponent.
1/17 – Andover: 61, Hyde: 18 W
1/17 – Andover: 35, Roxbury Latin: 44 L
Last Saturday, Wrestling (10-2) hosted its third home meet of the season against Hyde and Roxbury Latin. Despite picking up its second loss of the season against Roxbury Latin, the team put up a strong display of effort in its matches, leading to a close final score.
Co-Captain James Bae ’26, in a match against a Roxbury Latin athlete, was struck in the eye but still triumphed through a “technical fall,” an automatic victory that takes effect when a wrestler outscores their opponent by scoring 15 or more points against them. Alongside describing this victory, Caleb Beroukhim ’27 praised Geza Labancz PG’26, Serra Akyali ’28, and Devin Akyali ’29 for their impressive performances at the meet.
“Geza had his first heavyweight match and he ended up hitting the [Roxbury Latin] heavyweight really quickly. Then at the lighter weights, Serra and Devin had two really great exhibition matches after the meet, where they both had hard fights, [and] they both came out on top with a pin,” said Beroukhim.
Yitzchak (Shock) Ingram PG’26 reflected on the energy and support his teammates gave while watching each other’s matches. He pointed out how one of the team’s strengths lay in its camaraderie and morale throughout meets.
“Everyone had energy. Everyone was excited. Everyone was ready to go, especially getting ready to go into the match. If they were in a good situation where they were about to turn the tide to get the win, everyone started shouting. The energy would just suddenly spike, and it became louder. Everyone’s trying to cheer on their teammate and make sure they know they’re doing the right thing and to keep on going.” said Ingram.
Additionally, Ingram praised Christian Robinson ’28 for his consistent progress throughout the season, continually building confidence and skill.
“I saw a big improvement in [Robinson]’s wrestling style. He came out there a little more aggressively, looking strong, looking fast, looking focused and locked in. He had great setups, and he had great shots too. On top of that, he had some great finishes as well. He’s quick on his feet too. He wasn’t just standing there moving side to side, he was actively moving, trying to look for angles to get a takedown,” said Ingram.
Nicholas Marini ’28 explained that the team looks to continue improving its endurance and general fitness in its future practices. He highlighted how Coach Kassie Bateman ’06 has modified practices to improve stamina and gain more successful victories in future meets.
“We definitely have to work on conditioning. Coach Bateman mentioned that at the end of the practice as well. A lot of people are getting tired after the second period. So we [need] to work on that a little more. Being intentional in practice is a big thing. Coach Bateman says, ‘If you practice perfect, then the match will go your way,’” said Marini.
Wrestling will compete at the Seabrooke Duals tournament at Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter) on Saturday.
