Sports

AOTW: Colin Nugent ’23 Brings Experience and Vigor To Andover Wrestling

Colin Nugent ’23 finished the Class A league tournament in Maine last week with a 3-0 record.

Earlier in the season at the Tabor tournament, unseeded Colin Nugent ’23 wrestled against the number-one seed in the first round and pinned him four times, securing his champion win. As a Junior, Nugent brings discipline and years of high-level experience to Andover Wrestling, according to Co-Captain Eamon Garrity-Rokous ’20.

Garrity-Rokous said, “Colin is a very dedicated wrestler. He’s been around wrestling his whole life. He has great technique and moves that he is good at and that he routinely hits [and] hits well. He does a great job of having a good mindset when going into a wrestling match. He’s going out there to wrestle, he’s going out there to win, and he is very aggressive. He does a great job of that.”

Due to his skill and dedication, Nugent has earned The Phillipian’s title of Athlete of the Week.

When did you start wrestling and how were you introduced to the sport?

I started wrestling when I was four because my dad wrestled in high school and college, so he wanted me to try it out, and I really liked it. My older brother also wrestled.[a]

What’s your favorite part of the sport?

I like how wrestling keeps me in shape and gives me a lot of mental and physical toughness. It’s a really fun and rewarding [sport]. At Andover, I like the team. It’s similar to a little community. Everyone’s there for you. I’m able to represent my school on the mat.

Do you have a favorite memory from this season so far?

My favorite memory from this season has been winning Class A’s because it’s a pretty big tournament, and I was really excited to win it as a freshman.

Do you have a role model on the team?

My sister, [Co-Captain Marisol Nugent ’20], she’s one of the captains and also one of my role models. Also Eamon, the other captain. Eamon and I keep in touch about wrestling. We go to the team clubs. Eamon is a really aggressive wrestler, so I try to mirror his aggression on the mat. My sister is really technical, so I try to keep up the same technique as her.

What’s your favorite team tradition?

Just being with the team on a bus trip is really fun and almost like a bonding experience. We do a lot of homework and help each other with homework, which is a good thing to do. We play music, just get into the right mentality for the matches.

Do you have a favorite wrestler?

I like Daton Fix. He’s on the Worlds team.