Q&A with Junior Heavyweight Jez Phippen
by ReAnn Cappel

What made you decide to start wrestling?
I needed a winter sport to do that would help me with football’s footwork and balance.

How long have you been wrestling?
I started wrestling when I was in sixth grade. I also wrestled in kindergarten and first grade.

What motivates you the most?
Being a part of a team thats like a family, listening to the crowd as it gets hectic and crazy, it just makes you want to go out there and win.

What’s your favorite thing about wrestling?
Showing up at a tournament or dual and you are up against an opponent and you get a pin or a win. You know that the work you have done in the off season and the wrestling room have paid off.

What do you do before a wrestling meet to get focused/ready?
I crank my music as loud as it can go and zone it to the match, how it will go, what I need to do.

Where do you see yourself in wrestling after school?
I can see myself coaching and coming back to practices and helping out.

Do you think that wrestling is a “family” sport?
Yes, because you are with the same guys for four months out of the year.
We do everything together and you watch how everyone pushes each other in the wrestl.ing room and you just come together as one

Why wrestling over basketball?
Wrestling just seems to help more with football, being a lineman you have to have quick feet and good balance, wrestling helps a lot with that. Wrestling also builds mental toughness to the extreme.

How has wrestling impacted your life?
Makes me mentally prepared for everything, and if you can survive wrestling you can survive anything you set your mind to.

Jez also makes an impact on his teammates. Sophomore Reid Nichols said of Phippen, “ He is a hard worker with a lot of heart. He always puts smiles on peoples faces at practice. “ Junior Tyler Christensen has a theory for why Jez is so upbeat, “He is always hyper because he gets to eat.” Freshman Clayton West said, “Jez is a good a leader and has a good work ethic.” He has also made an impression on Coach Duff. “Jez is one of those guys that is a good leader, has put off time in the off season, went to camps in the off season, lifted hard, gotten stronger and is continuing to improve. I enjoy coaching him.” As for the rest of the team their dual record sits at 4-2. They have also placed second at tournaments in both Humboldt and Riverside. The Trojans return to action Friday night in Atlantic when they host the Rollin Dyer Tournament.