(Atlantic) The Atlantic girls’ wrestling team began its second week of practice on Monday. Head Coach Mike Greving, in his second year, welcomed eight returning varsity wrestlers and 17 middle school wrestlers. Greving says all but two of those returnees are veterans of the sport.
Coach Greving says one of the returning starters is Cadence Kinzie. Kinzie is a junior, like many of the returning team members, who have wrestled all year long.
Isabella Schwarte, a sophomore, wrestled last season for Coach Greving and the Trojans.
Greving says Alivia Knuth, in her second year, will probably fill the 135-pound weight class.
Greving expects senior Liliana Johnson to wrestle at 145.
Leah Thomas is back and will fill the 155-pound weight class. Greving says another athlete who wrestles year-round. Greving notes her work ethic and describes her as very coachable.
State medal winner Haley Armstrong is ranked seventh in the country. She won the Corn Cob Nationals and is just off a second-place finish at Pre-Nationals.
The Trojans have welcomed two new athletes to their program this season: freshman Willow Drake, who brings experience from middle school wrestling, and fellow freshman Josie Miller, who is brand new to the sport.
Meanwhile, 17 middle school wrestlers are training alongside the varsity squad. Coach Greving says they’re running the same drills as the high school athletes, emphasizing how vital they are to the program’s success. He notes that the middle school wrestlers represent the team’s future—by the time they reach high school, they’ll already be comfortable with the system and expectations.
Greving also highlighted the key roles of his assistant coaches: former wrestler Lexi Trotter, Brian Armstrong, and former college wrestler Brad Kerkhoff.
