Chelsea Gubbels | Staff Writer
As the fall sports start to wrap up, some of our winter sports are getting into full swing. The Buena Vista University (BVU) wrestling team, led by Head Coach Sevond Cole and Assistant Coach Zach Mizer, has been hard at work on the mats and in the gym for close to a month now with a great outlook on the season.
“So far practice has been going pretty well. We have a nice young freshman group that is eager to learn and compete. We also have some strong leadership from the upperclassmen that help to guide the younger wrestlers and set an example of what BVU wrestling is about. We are anxious to have our first competition this weekend at Knox College in Illinois,” Assistant Coach Zach Mizer said.
Their competition on the scoreboard isn’t the only one their worried about. Mental toughness is something that is being strongly emphasized this season for the Beavers.
“Our biggest competitor is always ourselves. Wrestling is just as mental as it is physical. Wrestling is a six month season, so it can be a constant grind. It takes a huge mental toll on you after a while if things aren’t going the way you hoped they would. Getting your mind right for the entire six months is nearly impossible, but the ones that do it the best are the ones that have the most success,” Mizer said.
In order to motivate this talented group of wrestlers, the coaches have focused on each individual first in order to achieve success as a team. There was also an addition to the wrestling room when the athletes came in this season.
“Wrestling is different, because it’s a team sport disguised as an individual sport. The best way that I have found is to relate with each individual person. We recently placed an All-American board in the wrestling room so that the current guys on the team can look at the past 80 All-Americans in school history and envision their names on that wall,” Mizer said.
The coaches get help motivating their team from last year’s captains, juniors Steve Gutschenritter and Seth Shatto. These guys have shown exemplary action on and off the mats as student athletes and are great role models for the younger wrestlers.
“Steve Gutschenritter and Seth Shatto are two individuals that I’m looking at to help lead the team. They were both voted as team captains last season which displays that they already have their teammates’ respect. They are also role models in the classroom as well as on the wrestling mat. They have set the tone for the younger guys on the team about what it takes to be disciplined,” Mizer said.
The Beavers will kick off their season in Illinois at Knox College this Saturday, Nov. 9 at 9 a.m. Their first home match-up will be the BVU Open on December 7.
Graphic by Aaron Burns
