Isaac Stein ‘25, Sports Writer

A Newark Academy wrestler winning a match

On February 5, 2022, the Newark Academy wrestling team defeated the Newark Collegiate team by a score of 36-18. However, the victory was only their third win, finishing the Minutemen’s season with a 3-6 record. In wrestling, there are individual fights for each of the fourteen weight classes. The problem, however, is that the team had just seven players last season. As a result, they were forced to forfeit fights in many of their matches, and were unable to compete at a high level for much of the season. Fast forward nearly a year later, and the Minutemen wrestlers are hard at work preparing for the upcoming season with an astoundingly improved roster of 22 players. Not only do they boast a significantly larger roster, but they also now have many players with wrestling experience from last season. Captain Adin Fastov ‘23 declares that the team “has a lot of talent this year.” He continued, “I think we had to work twice as hard with a smaller roster last year, and if we maintain that same work ethic with our now-improved roster we can take many steps in the right direction for this program.” 

This drastic roster reconstruction was a collaborative effort of both the captains and coaches, highlighting the strong leadership within the team. For instance, coach Tyler Loneker, who also serves as an assistant coach for Newark Academy football, made persistent efforts throughout the football season to recruit many of the football players to wrestling in winter. This ultimately proved successful, as many of NA’s new wrestlers have come from the football team. However, the hard work has only begun, as the team is training intensely for their 2022-2023 season. 

With 22 players now on the roster, the team can now afford to select the best options for every single match as opposed to last year, where every player was forced to fight regardless of experience or skill level. This new roster has changed the dynamic of the entire program. 

The team is led by senior captains Adin Fastov ‘23 and Cameron Wright ‘23. With strong outings in 2022 and years of wrestling experience, they hope to serve as leaders in their final season and most importantly, lead their team to victory. Fastov remarked that he is “ready to leave it all on the mat.” He added, “It’s been a long offseason of preparation and excitement, and all that’s left to do is go out there and win.” 

While there is no guarantee that the increase in roster will translate to instant success, it certainly will help the NA wrestling team achieve victories and, most importantly, will build a foundation for the years to come. The hope is that in the near future, the captains will never have to worry about whether they will have enough players, but instead will be able to select between many great players for every match.