The wrestling team concluded its season on January 15 with a match against Springfield Gardens. Though the team struggled to advance and concluded the season with a 0-8 record, the wrestlers and their coach highlighted various moments and achievements that provided the team with a sense of accomplishment. 

Coach Matthew Curiale said, “Unfortunately, many of our plans did not unfold as expected, due to circumstances beyond our control,” as many injuries and illnesses affected the team. Despite these setbacks, he praised strong performances from first-year wrestlers at the 2025 novice tournament at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School. Senior captain Vicky Li also pointed to competitive success as a major highlight of the year, saying that multiple wrestlers placed at tournaments.

“Our one goal as a team collectively… was training as hard as we could to physically and mentally be in the best shape of our lives, in addition to being a team and working together,” Senior Akif Gurtas said.

No matter the results, the sport instilled deep lessons in its players. 

Sophomore Aisha Asif  said, “I think [wrestling] taught me that before it’s you versus opponent, it’s you versus yourself.” 

For team members, there were also lessons beyond the mat. Vicky emphasized that the sport has helped her develop strong time-management skills, learn to manage responsibilities effectively, and avoid procrastination while balancing school and athletics. Similarly, sophomore Arianna Lagria said she has applied the wrestling saying of  “leaving nothing to chance” to her academic life and work ethic, managing the balance between school and sports by being grateful and appreciating the journey of self-improvement. 

A number of newcomers also stood out this season. Vicky highlighted her favorite moments as watching wrestlers improve every day in practice and seeing rookies earn their first wins during matches. Arianna echoed that statement, specifically recalling when newcomer junior Jonatan Murdakhayev secured his first win. “Seeing people fall in love with your sport is such a rewarding feeling,” she shared. This culture of mutual support has helped the athletes manage  “rough practices” and foster a strong community. 

The performance of sophomore and first-year wrestler Zihan Liu also caught the team captain’s attention. According to Vicky, Zihan consistently showed up, ready to work, and took advantage of every opportunity to compete. “I think Zihan has a lot of potential,” Vicky said. “He’s a rookie from this year. He’s been going to tournaments, and I’ve seen his improvement.” 

Coach Curiale said he encourages underclassmen to join the team early on, hoping for a change in how the sport is perceived. “I would like to see the stigma surrounding wrestling change. Yes, [wrestling] is tough…but as many wrestlers on the team can attest, it is worth it.”