Last Thursday, the Panthers wrestled in the Duals region tournament and placed third overall.
“The seniors are the best on our team,” junior Alym Rawji said. “When I wrestle against them, I realize the flaws in my technique.”
The two teams that placed higher than Starr’s Mill were Central High School and Harris County High School. Harris County placed first and Central took home second place. The Panthers earned third place with a win/loss ratio of three to one. The Panthers competed against Central and lost 57-23, but won against Jonesboro 51-30, Mundy’s Mill 48-18, and Northside 48-24.
“Devin Starr is who got me into wrestling,” freshman Barrett Cohou said. “I’m very sad he’s going away this year.”
Duals is not a tournament, singles-style event. Teams compete in a versus-team-style. This distinction is important because it means that the pressure is more on the team, and less on the individual.
“We have improved a lot,” wrestling head coach John Steiner said. “We came into tonight as the number three seed, feeling we would finish third, and we did. We looked good tonight.”
The team also celebrated their senior night recognizing four senior wrestlers: Souren Naradikian, Devin Starr, Rowan Frazer, and Alex Lutman.
The seniors on the team are the ones who hold the highest stats. Frazer has the most pins and wins at 13 pins and 18 wins. Starr has the most takedowns at 27 and third most wins at 15. Lutman has the third most takedown at 24. Naradikian with the third most pins at 9 and fifth most wins at 9.
The next match will be at Lagrange on January 15 at 5:30 p.m.