By Dillion Cox
With football season coming to close here at Atlantic High School, many people are shifting gears into the winter sports.
Head wrestling coach Tim Duff said his team is looking to build off the last five years. “We have had 25 state qualifiers, and 14 state place winners. We have a dual record of 97 wins, and only 18 losses in the past five years.”
Duff wants Atlantic to continue to be known as a wrestling school. “We have placed 4th and 3rd in the State Dual Tournament. We are the most decorated sports team Atlantic has ever had.”
Duff said the success from last year will help the team this year because success builds success. “When the expectations rise, the kids will rise up to that level. When everyone expects you to win, it builds.”
Duff said that the coaching staff is the same as last year, with a few new volunteers, “Coach Peter Smith (AHS 2008) will be coming to volunteer, along with Coach Dustin Pieken, who is a decorated wrestler from AHST.”
Junior Tyler Christensen said wrestling is demanding. He said, “It is by all means the hardest sport you can do at Atlantic High School. It is the sport that makes you the most dedicated, and teaches you good life goals.”
Junior Cal Heuton said, “We lost a lot of good seniors last year.”
Any words for students looking to come out? “It’s not as bad as it sounds,” said junior Cal Heuton.
Christensen added, “If you’re looking for a sport to make you a man, come out. It’s Iowa’s Sport.”