Wrestling season ends with senior going to states
Senior wrestling team members with their families on senior night. Photo by Lily Hoza
Cheers erupt from the stands as the referee holds up the hand of a GlenOak wrestler. As the wrestler leaves the mat, the entire GlenOak team crowds around them, puts their hands in the middle, and over the cheers the team yells “1, 2, 3, family!”
This is a familiar circumstance for the wrestlers of GlenOak High School.
The wrestlers, coached by freshman teacher Michael Hynd, kindergarten teacher Adam Black, and eighth grade teacher Lucas Krumlauf, have finished their 2022-23 season with multiple district qualifiers.
Among these qualifiers was senior wrestler Brandon Batson who went on to place fourth in the state of Ohio.
Junior Romeo Magueyal started wrestling in 8th grade, with his only intention being to stay in shape for football. Despite this, he found himself enjoying wrestling more than he had imagined.
“I started liking wrestling a lot more than football and so I prioritize wrestling more than football now,” Magueyal said.
He maintains that a lot of this is due to the coaches and the closeness of the team.
“With the wrestling team, it’s like a big family,” Magueyal said.
After spending so much time with the team practicing and competing, you become extremely close. The coaches also have a massive impact on the team.
“I feel like the coaches really push us to be our best,” Maguyal said. “I always think that if I had anyone telling me what to do, I would want it to be Hynd.”
Hynd greatly values his position coaching the GlenOak wrestlers.
“I stay loyal to the school that I’m at,” Hynd said. “It helps when establishing those relationships with a lot of these kids because I know their families.”
All of these factors have come together to create an extremely successful season. This year, multiple wrestlers made the trip to the sectional tournament, and many of them had the opportunity to advance to the district tournament, held at Hoover High School.
Brandon Batson performed extremely well, placing first at both the sectional and district tournaments and achieving the title of fourth in the state for his senior season.
Coach Hynd, along with the rest of the team hope to make next season even more successful, aiming for more placers and state qualifiers next season.
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