The Wesleyan Winter Wolves are currently nearing the end of their respective seasons. With swimming, basketball and wrestling nearing a close, athletes share their hopes for the remainder of their seasons.
Freshman swimmer, Hannah Wasmuth, has set specific goals to achieve in before the state meet at Georgia Tech. “Before going to Georgia Tech, I want to improve on my technique, so I can be at my best for the state meet,” Wasmuth said. Many other swimmers attended challenging practices over the Christmas break. “No days off!” swimmers said.
Out of the water, the varsity girls’ basketball team has also been preparing for their state tournament. “Our team is feeling really good about our accomplishments this season,” sophomore Caroline Burke said. “That being said, we have some tough competition ahead of us, so we have to keep working hard,” said Burke.
Holy Innocents’ and Norcross High School have proven to be some of the toughest opponents the team has faced so far, with Norcross competing with the Wolves in the Myrtle Beach tournament. In that tournament, the Wolves won two games and lost two games while facing competition from all over the country. “The tournament really helped us improve because we faced teams unlike the ones we play in Georgia,” Burke said.
The varsity girls’ basketball team shared their eagerness for the rest of the season and hope to go a long way in the coming state tournament in February.
Members of the varsity boys’ basketball team also have their eyes on improvement. Senior Cullen Davis said, “We have lost to teams that we should not have lost to and we are capable of a lot more than what we are currently showing.” Team members want to work on handling the ball under pressure in order to improve their current 10-9 record.
“I am looking forward to showing people that we are a lot better than we are playing right now, and I’m very excited to prove that in the playoffs,” Davis said.
Junior Lydia Rogers and the basketball cheerleaders have been with these two teams from the start. “Both teams have had an awesome season so far, with quick turnarounds and fast paced movement, it’s easy to stay engaged in the game,” Rogers said. As all cheerleaders agreed that the best games are those in which the student section rallies and helps the squad cheer for the teams to win.
Off the court and on the mat, varsity wrestlers finished as state runner-up in the state dual championship. Before the tournament, junior Ellis Schmitt had shared his team’s hope to, “stay healthy and make weight in order to place highly in the state tournament.” Going into it, the boys simply hoped to continue to perform as they had throughout the entire season. Coach Dennis Stromie’s strategy of wrestling people in weight classes up in their weights served him well. “The kids have done a heck of a job,” Stromie said.
Overall, the Wolves have done a great job in the water, on the court and on the mat, so far. Keep an eye out for more times, shots and pins to come as Wesleyan athletes continue to compete this season.
