Wrestlers compete at Sectionals

Madeline Schallmoser, Sports Editor

Six wrestlers advanced to the Sectional meet, three of whom competed at the State tournament Feb. 21 and 22. State competitors included senior Brad Rosen and brothers freshman Ben Bielawski and junior Drew Bielawski. 

The team finished with a regular-season record of 16-9, ranking within the top 30 teams in state. Out of 14 weight classes and starting spots, the Trojans had at most five seniors in any given starting line-up. 

With a young team, head coach Chris McGrath is excited to see what the team can do in the future. 

“If the guys continue to improve in the off-season, we could have a very special team next season,” McGrath said. 

The only freshman to compete for the Trojans at Sectionals, Ben Bielawksi beat three seniors in wrestle-backs to qualify for State. He values the tournament experience and what it means for next season. 

Competing at the state tournament was an awesome experience for me. I got exposed to some of the best competition I’m going to see for a long time, and to be around that is really motivating to work harder and be a state champion,” Bielawski said. 

Both Ben and Drew Bielawksi will return to the team next year. The sibling dynamic has been proven beneficial for both brothers.

“I was worried before the season started that Ben and Drew would be too competitive to work together, but that has not been the case at all,” McGrath said. “They are practice partners and push each other to improve every day. It is going to be fun watching how good they can be in the next two years.”