On Saturday, May 16, The Bengals wrestling team took on multiple different schools including Clayton, North Pitt and Bunn. There was also a variety of club wrestling teams making the competition balanced. Sophomore Kaitlin Hatt, who wrestles in the 185 womens weight class, placed first along with sophomore Makeala Roebuck who placed first in the 105 womens weight class.
“With being off season, I tried to go to every workout at school and all the motivation from my teammates really helped me stay calm and conditioned during the tournament,” said Hatt. “Going into the tournament, I focused on trying to not get pinned.”
For men’s wrestling, seniors Lucas Prestipino and Jayden Manchego placed.
Manchego, who wrestles in the 175 men’s weight class, said, “My last match was the toughest because the wrestler was pretty good.”
Manchego walked on the mat confident, with his first match resulting in 15-0, making it a tech fall. Matches two and five also went the same, with match two ending in a pin by Manchengo and match five ending in a score of 4-3, confirming his second place title.
Senior Lucas Prestipino placed first in the heavyweight class, with his match first ending 5-2. The second match ended in a pin. Overall, Prestipino didn’t lose a single match all day.
“My favorite move is the head and arm throw because it really works at heavyweight, and if I hit it right it guarantees a pin,” said Prestipino.
Hatt also had a perfect record, with both her matches ending in 3-0 and 5-0. Hatt continues to practice new moves to continue to improve her record next season.
This tournament is just a small sliver of what FVHS wrestlers have done so far. Through their discipline and extreme hardwork, they have multiple impressive records that shine even during off season matches. If this is what they can do during the offseason, just imagine what the Bengals can do during their actual season.
