Illustration by Nora Tallbott

Walter Johnson’s wrestling team is a proud squad of students who relish in the oldest form of combat known to man. Wrestling finds it origins 15,000 years ago. Although Walter Johnson doesn’t date that far back the school still finds pride in its wrestling program. Wrestling practice starts at 3:30 p.m. every day but it’s not uncommon to see wrestlers chatting with each other before practice. Many of the wrestlers use this time to catch up on homework or hang out with each other.

The team warmup includes a series of acrobatic exercises like forward rolls and backward rolls. Of course, this isn’t the only feature that separates the squad from other sports team.

Sophomore Ari Kiefer describes the harmony between team members.

“The camaraderie [is special] because your with your teammates 24/7, while its an individual sport for each match, the [final] score is a team score,” Kiefer said.

Wrestling is a sport that centers in the core human characteristic of survival. The combat of wrestling is profound and cut-throat. A small missaction can lead to you or your opponent tripping into their downfall.

Senior Ben Meier-Schellersheim describes characterizes the intense nature of combative wrestling.

“There is a lot of contact, your always ringing the other guy, always full force, it’s definitely one of the most competitive sports because its very one on one, very personal,” Meier-Schellersheim said.

Although the WJ wrestling team holds themselves and their sport to high esteem, the feeling of inclusion at Walter Johnson is lacking among the team.

Junior varsity coach Evan Silver testifies that its important for WJ to naturalize itself with the sport.

“For people of the community to see what wrestling is about and familiarize itself with because its a really cool sport,” Silver illustrated.

WJ’s wrestling is a group of proud WJ students that savor in the competition that is present in the belligerent warfare of the sport, but are always there to watch and support each other.