BACK ON THE MAT
December 17, 2024
By Clara De Leon
Sparta Wrestling is back! Returning this season are athletes Logan Hrenenko, Liam Hassloch, and Ryan Hrenenko and their early energy shows great promise for upcoming matches this season. The Sparta High School Wrestling Team also welcomed many new athletes this season. Both Praise Ojo and Hunter Chlodnicki have decided to join the team as Seniors and hope to bring successful results. Chlodnicki’s first match was this past Thursday and he displayed incredible skills for his first year coming into the role. It will be exciting to see how he does the remainder of the season.
With this new experience Praise Ojo is now taking on, when asked why she chose to join the team, Ojo shared that she always had interest in participating in contact sports and wanted to learn something new. She was also inspired to join by returning athlete, Jeisy Castro who was able to share the struggles and successes that come with competing in a typically male dominated sport. Castro shared that there is “a lot of power” that comes with taking on the role. Alongside the mental strength and confidence that one needs to have for the image they present themselves with. With this however, Castro also shared that the team treats each other as equals regardless of gender.
Captain Logan Hrenenko emphasized that he tells the team to give it their all, win or lose, and hopes that his teammates are dedicated and determined to take home victory in the upcoming season and clearly his words are motivating the team. Both Liam Hassloch and Ryan Hrenenko were able to share that there is nothing more motivating than being able to wrestle in an environment with support from teammates.
