Four years ago, if you were to ask a student at Oakdale about our wrestling team, chances are they would respond with “We have a wrestling team?” Now, chances are they have a relative, friend, or know someone who is associated with our wrestling team. Senior Jake Green, who was only one of nine wrestlers his freshman year, was very grateful to now be one of 60.“I feel like I definitely have a lot of more support around me. It’s like my family got bigger,” Green says. He also has a little brother, Levi Green, who is a freshman on varsity this year as well. Jake is excited for his brother to carry on his legacy.
Although Wrestling is seen to be a “boy sport”, only about 85% of Oakdale’s team is made up of boys. Oakdale is excited to have nine Girls this season in comparison to 2020, when they only had one. Not only is the quantity of girls new, but this is the first year for the Oakdale girls to have Girls Varsity Duals. The girls have had four official duals this season and have a positive win rate. Senior Bella Signor was one of four girls when she joined wrestling her junior year. When asked about the competition of girls wrestling from this year to last year, Signor felt as though “Everybody has gotten better, all of the competition is changing. Just because something was one way last year doesn’t mean it’s gonna be the same this year. You never underestimate anybody and nobody should ever underestimate you.” Signor has high hopes for the Oakdale bears as girls wrestling is growing.
As the wrestling season inches closer to the end, the Bears get ready for counties. Counties, which is considered to be the beginning of the state tournament series, is a big thing for wrestlers. For those on JV, Counties is where their season ends. For those on Girls or Coed Varsity, this extends their season for about three more weeks. After counties, those who managed to place at counties and/or racked up enough seeding points throughout the season, qualify for regionals. With counties only having tenschools, the competition isn’t nearly as bad as regionals, which has 23. If one places high enough at regionals, they are entered into the state tournament.
Last year, Oakdale was able to bring four of its wrestlers to the state championship. two coed varsity members, and two female varsity members. Although not all of the wrestlers goals were met, it was still a successful season for them and Oakdale hopes to bring more wrestlers this season.
