Weber Wrestling Looks to Build on Success

When the state-of-the-art Eitan Force Athletic Complex, replete with a gymnasium, practice spaces, classrooms, and a wellness center, opens this August, all teams at The Weber School stand to benefit. Certainly, none more so than the wrestling team, a promising eight-person squad that sent four juniors to Regionals and one to States this past winter.

Weber’s wrestling team looks forward to building on this year’s success by not only training in a first-class facility but also hosting meets. And judging by this year’s performances, Weber may have quite a bit to showcase in their spanking new home.

In a sense, the development of the wrestling program mirrors that of the school’s athletic facilities. The school has had a wrestling program since 2003, but at times it has been beset with ongoing coaching turnover and other logistical issues.

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Meanwhile, many Weber teams, not just wrestling, have often had to shuttle to and from off-campus practices and training sessions with there being no central fieldhouse that can house everyone. But in a half year, the ecosystem of Weber athletics will be vastly different – just in time for a senior-heavy wrestling team to take the mat.

“The [past] season is one where we’re building,” said faculty coach Rebecca McCullough, who also serves as Weber’s JV girls volleyball coach. “One of the best things that we’ve been able to do is – as we brag about the successes of the team – it gets out there to the school that wrestling is a sport where you can succeed and you can medal and you can bring home trophies. And because it’s very individual, it depends on you.”

A year ago, when Weber director of athletics Riley Clark approached McCullough about the wrestling program, McCullough recalled how much her son, Matthew, now a sophomore at Vanderbilt, enjoyed the sport when he participated for one season as a freshman last decade. Realizing just how inclusive the sport can be for student athletes of different backgrounds, personalities, and skill sets, she was more than ready to invest considerable time and energy toward shepherding the fledgling program along.

One of the best things that we’ve been able to do is – as we brag about the successes of the team – it gets out there to the school that wrestling is a sport where you can succeed and you can medal and you can bring home trophies. And because it’s very individual, it depends on you.

“It’s a great sport for kids at Weber who may not necessarily see a lot of field time or court time or things like that because they’re working with such a deep roster in basketball or soccer,” explained McCullough, who, as a faculty coach, is ably supported by her two incredibly dedicated and knowledgeable community coaches, Chris Hilton and Tim Bozeman. “For me personally, I have seen especially how welcoming the sport [wrestling] is for kids on the spectrum, how welcoming it is for kids who are just not the loud ones. I just think it’s lovely to have a sport that really embraces so many different kinds of personalities.

“I think wrestling is one of the rare sports that really takes care of its team members emotionally and physically. It’s such an individual and team sport.”

Much like tennis matches and track and field meets, wrestling meets are Grand Central busy with a string of individual bouts playing out under the larger umbrella of team competition.

“Wrestling is a very intense sport because of the quick matches, there’s a lot to keep up with [in terms of] technicalities,” added McCullough, who is quick to mention that she would love to see Weber one day also have a female wrestling team. “You can be winning in points and then suddenly you lose because you get pinned. I just didn’t realize how into it I was.

“The sport itself, there is so much going on all the time, especially as you get to tournaments. There are a lot of moving parts to wrestling that I really enjoy.”

This winter, undoubtedly a transitional season for Weber wrestling, the squad’s core group of juniors who began when they were freshmen and hope to culminate their high school careers by reaching States next winter (Ilan Berman, Israel “Rael” Glusman, Elliott Levine, Ami Weismark) made life easier for their first-year head coach by taking the initiative to organize off-season workouts at wrestling gyms, spreading awareness of the program throughout the Weber student body, and checking in on their underclassmen teammates who were wrestling newbies (Jay Berkman, Max Kaufman, Aaron Jason Shenk, and Scott Silverman) anytime someone was shelved with an injury or illness. Indeed, such comity among wrestlers in different grades is a defining characteristic of the sport at the high school level as many teams don’t have separate JV and Varsity units.

In addition to the team camaraderie, the parental support was invaluable to McCullough as she navigated through her first year of coaching high school wrestling, whether that meant tracking meets online, helping her wrestlers properly manage their weight (the program doesn’t believe in “cutting weight”), or learning the ropes of scoring meets. Noted Rebecca, “I’ve never met a more dedicated group of parents than wrestling parents.”

But, of course, it’s the wrestlers themselves, who through their unflagging dedication and perseverance, made this past season, one that truthfully didn’t begin in earnest until after the holidays, a great success.

“Being part of the Weber wrestling team is fantastic,” said Weismark, who placed first at the King’s Ridge Invitational and second at GHSA 1A Area 6 Championships. “We’re a close-knit group, and this past season was a highlight, with a strong squad with a solid foundation in wrestling and immense potential to lead the team in the future. I’m passionate about expanding the wrestling program at Weber because I truly believe in the sport’s ability to shape boys into men and instill a life philosophy that breeds success. My ambition for the team is to see everyone qualify for the state championships next year. I’m particularly excited about the new gym, which will enable us to host duals and tournaments right in front of our school.”

Added Glusman, who placed second at King’s Ridge Invitational and fourth at GHSA, “At Weber, wrestling is not just about the physical effort on the mat, but also about the dedication and hard work off the mat. This past season has been remarkable, with every team member showing significant technical and mental improvement. As our program grows, we hope to introduce more students to this incredible sport. Our coaches have been phenomenal, pushing us to excel while supporting us every step of the way. We’re extremely grateful for their guidance. As a team, our ultimate goal is to be the best version of ourselves and to strive for a state title. With the progress we’ve made and the support we have, I believe we’re on the right path.”