Robert Strock ’23

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The Strake Jesuit varsity wrestling team sent three of our best wrestlers to the University Interscholastic League state wrestling championships, February 18: seniors John Gabbanelli (170lb) and Kent Stovall (182lb) and junior Chico Holt (220lb).

“I couldn’t have been more thankful to my fellow teammates and coaches,” Chico Holt said. “Through hard work, we made it to the state championships, and although it didn’t go as planned, I look forward to next year.”

In 2015, the Strake Jesuit wrestling squad had just 12 athletes. This year, it had 45. The program has skyrocketed. Our varsity wrestlers finished the regular season with 19 wins, 7 losses while our JV went undefeated.

“The wrestling experience is fun,” Zane Beyer, a junior on the team, said. “We did really well this season, and thanks to our coaches, we made it to state.”

At the tournament, two of our wrestlers, Chico Holt and Kent Stovall, were eliminated in the second round. John Gabbanelli won his match in the second round but was eliminated in the third.

“This season our guys showed unbelievable dedication and sacrifice for the team’s best interest. I could not be prouder of their hard work,” Mr. Jordan Hebert, one of our wrestling coaches, said. “From 5 am wake-up calls to qualifying for the state tournament, they deserved every bit of success they had. We have some great talent returning next year along with some new young kids that have a lot of potential. I can’t wait to see where their hard work takes them.”

Although they did not win the championships, the SJ wrestling team put themselves on the map at the state level, showing magnificence on the mat.