At the individual state competition on Feb. 18-19, senior Jack Cummings won the state tournament for the first time in 46 years.

On Feb.11-12, sectionals took place at Barrington High School where the five qualifiers and girls varsity team members competed. Sophomore Ty Stringer placed 2nd and Jack Cummings placed 3rd, both qualifying for state. Junior Serena Virani qualified for the girls IHSA state tournament.

The varsity boys wrestling team placed 4th in the regional IHSA regional event on Feb. 5 at Glenbrook South with a score of 128, with five Trevians qualifying for sectionals.

The qualifiers were Walter Garrett, Wilson Wright, Eli Polacek, Jack Cummings, and Ty Stringer.

“I think we prepared well and stuck to what we were taught,” said Freshman Tagg Miller. In dual meets throughout the season, Main South, Glenbrook South, and New Trier all tied for conference championship.

The team placed 2nd in CSL conference tournaments, and their current record is 19-3, one of the team’s stronger seasons, according to varsity head coach Marc Tadelman.

Some of the more difficult competition that the team encountered was at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater Campus. This was a two-day event on Dec.27- 28 where nearly 40 teams competed. New Trier finished 14th with 152 points.

Aside from practices after school each day, the preparation process for matches this season also requires strategy.

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“Making sure my mind is set on beating the person I wrestle, looking at his record, and asking my coaches what his tendencies are,” said junior Tyler Jackson when mentioning how he prepares for most wrestling matches.

While strategy is important for beating opposing wrestlers, junior Serena Virani on the girls varsity team said the constant pressure of maintaining a certain weight also plays a role.

“If you are over the weight then you have to cut weight so that you can make the weight class you are in,” said Virani. “It can be very stressful at times.”

According to Tadelman, while wrestlers must weigh in before matches, the NT Wrestling program does not require its wrestlers to lose weight to fit a certain weight class

The girls varsity team is made up of three girls, and it is the first year of an official IHSA season for the girls. Tadelman mentioned how the varsity girls have participated at a few tournaments this season and are paired up against other female competitors at boys events.

“We’ve got three pioneers that are starting off the program and we’re hoping that they’ll compete hard and challenge the state tournament and their teammates,” said Tadelman.

Freshman Jillian Giller, who has been wrestling since seventh grade, said the highlights of her year were attending the first all girls meet, as well as her first win on the freshman boys team and girls varsity team. “Just at the Evanston sectional alone there’s going to be at least 200 female competitors. Sure there are definitely a lot of men, but the female wrestling community is growing so much everyday and it is amazing to be a part of it,” said Giller.

Considering wrestling is a close contact sport, adjusting to the safety protocols has been difficult for the team and there have been lots of matches rescheduled throughout the course of the season.

“Omicron and other variants of COVID caused some rescheduling of conference meets which made some weeks full of meets. It also impacted the way practices were scheduled and how they were run,” said Giller.

“I want to get a couple kids up on the podium at state,” said Tadelman.

“Hopefully, it is possible we could get an individual state champion.”