From Class to Mats

Allyson Wilson
Staff Writer
   During the 2023-2024 school year, the Bonneville High School (BHS) wrestling team consisted of over 50 students. On and off the mat there are two teams divided into boys and girls. Out of the 50 students, two of them were chosen to be interviewed for The Bonneville Buzz. The two students that were chosen were Garrett Davis and Laityn Jones.
  Garrett Davis is in ninth grade, and he has been wrestling for ten years. In those ten years, he discovered his love for wrestling. While being interviewed, Davis mentioned he has “never gotten [a] [serious] injury.” Although he would not classify it as a serious injury, Davis remembered the time he was punched in the face during a match. When wrestling is out of season, Davis can be found on the football field.. After being asked about his athletic preference, he added, “Wrestling is more of an individual sport”; therefore, Davis prefers it over football. Since he prefers to work alone and considers himself an “individual worker,” Davis would rather wrestle than play team-based sports like football. Throughout the season, Davis and his teammates face a variety of challenges. According to Davis, one of the biggest challenges he faced was “... having to wrestle some of [his] teammates…'' because of the pre-existing relationships. Since most athletes form bonds with their teammates, practices in which teammates compete against each other are often intense. Knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses pushes athletes  outside their comfort zone to defeat their teammates. Not only does wrestling help athletes grow physically, it further improves their mental state.
  Laityn Jones, a ninth grader at BHS, is one of the athletes on the girl wrestling team. When Jones was asked how the female wrestling experience was, she replied “... for some girls it can be hard because this is probably the most physically and mentally demanding sport.” According to Jones, wrestling is an extremely challenging sport for all girls, yet it is worth it in the end because they earn the boys’ respect. When asked why she started wrestling, Jones answered, ”Wrestling is really big [on] my dad’s side of the family.” As Jones watched her brother wrestle, she thought about doing it herself, but she decided against it. At that time, due to low numbers, female wrestlers were required to wrestle boys. Over time, rules and regulations changed, and Jones eventually stepped on the mat. Looking ahead to the wrestling season, one of Jones’ “biggest goals is trying not to physically break herself…” Since injuries are so common and nearly unavoidable in wrestling, Jones' goal is to not accidentally injure herself or an opponent.
  Davis and Jones’ interview revealed their wrestling history and love for the sport.
According to both students, wrestling is more of an individual sport since it teaches them how to identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to be a better wrestler. Not only are students held accountable for their own performances, wrestling pushes them mentally and physically. If passing a wrestler in the hall, wish them the best of luck this season.

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