On Saturday, January 12  the wrestling team traveled to Governors for a quintuplet match. The teams that participated were Governor's, Canterbury, Chase Collegiate, BBN and Middlesex.

The squad was the closest it has been all year to having everyone healthy.  And missing only two wrestlers from the entire team gave the hard working Zebras an opportunity to win all four matches.

Except for the "duck delay"  (a dozen white ducks blocking the road and vans from passing)  the coaches had to practically hold the athletes back from jumping out to the competition.  And so it began!

 Middlesex opened the day against Chase Collegiate.  WINS by Khoa '16 (106lbs) Chase '13 (152lbs), Thad '13 (170lbs), George '15 (182lbs), Robert '13  (195lbs), and Steven '15 gave the team the early boost and momentum for the next three matches. After giving up two forfeits however, Chase was ultimately able to come away with the vicotry by a score of 39-33.

Next up, BBN.

In the past, Middlesex has struggled against the athletic prowess of the Knights but this weekend their hard work finally paid off. Key wins were made by  Tae '14, Chase '13, and Thad '13 to help propel Middlesex past BBN 39-27.

The next challenge after the break was against the hosting team, Governor's Academy.

Wrestling is about match-ups, equal skill against equal skill.  Often when a freshman wrestles a senior, this level playing field is hard to achieve.  Gabe '16 at 138lbs, turned in a heroic performance at the outset of his match against an upperclassmen. Although he did not walk away with a victory, his grit and determination was truly inspiring to watch.

Westley '13 at 145lbs, also had a stellar day on the mats and showed a fine effort and take down of his opponent.  The coaches are looking forward to his continued development as an athlete. Another noteworthy performance came from Steve Z '15 at 220lbs who went undefeated for the day.  His focus was insurmountable, and his conditioning to back it up was an inspiration to the team. 

Robert Z '13 took the challenge of jumping up a  weight class against one of the strongest competitors in the league and took his opponent down amid the gasping jaw- dropping horror of Governor's fans.Their unbeatable athlete was now down and the noise went from silent to deafening as Robert used his skills to attempt to hand his competitor his first loss of the season. In a slow change of balance, (like a slow motion video of a spilling glass of water), the bottom man just tipped Robert with a few seconds remaining to secure the victory for Governors.  WOW!

Chase '13 would continue his New Years Resolution with a complete mastering of his opponent and a Major Decision 8-1. Meanwhile,  Hunt '13 at 112lbs added a pin, but the forfeit at the 170lbs weight class as well as heavy weight class ultimately hurt the teams overall score. Governor's came away with the hard-fought victory 46-28.

The final battle of the afternoon was against the Canterbury School. Steve Z '15 at 220lbs, and Robert Z. '13 at 195lbs dominated their opponents while Robert pinned his competitor (who was ranked fifth in New England). Great job Robert Z!!

 One of the highlights of the day was watching sophomore George in the 182lbs weight division.  In his first match of the season since battling a football injury,  his return to the line-up meant great things to not only the overall team score, but was also a great boost for his competition confidence.  He defeated his counterpart 5-0.

 The most incredible story of the day however,  was surely the effort of the young man in the106lbs weight class. His effort was perhaps the highest take down total of any wrestler in the last decade.  The record department is searching feverishly to confirm, but Khoa was just outstanding in scoring ELEVEN take downs in his final match. His effort has earned him the weekly honors of "Wrestler of the Week."

Great job Khoa!

Although Canterbury came away with the overall victory by a score of  42-37, the boys demonstrated tremendous character and determination. Middlesex will look to continue their strong performance as they gear up for another week of wrestling against Roxbury Latin and Chapel Hill- Chauncy Hall.

Great to have the team back!