The MSMS wrestling team is going into only its second season with double the players and equipment from last year and now under the guidance of coaches Jerry Brauer, Chris Coover and Frank Smith.

Captain Nina Weinstein said the team experienced growth this year.

“We’re getting a new mat, and we’ve got all this weightlifting equipment, bikes, ropes and jump ropes,” Weinstein said. “We’ve got all these new supplies this year, so I can only imagine exponential growth.”

The wrestling team this year was given wrestling mats, an upgrade from last year when they practiced in the grass.

Another proof of the team’s growth is how Weinstein was the only girl on the team last year compared to the multiple they now have.

“Right now, we have seven women wrestlers signed up, which I’m super excited about because that means the team has grown 700%,” Weinstein said. 

The growth in the MSMS women’s wrestling team isn’t an anomaly. Girls wrestling has been regonized as the fastest growing high school sport in the nation.

“I feel very proud of our team and the new [women] who joined,” junior Elissa Wang, a newcomer to the team, added. 

Captain Enoch Clardy and Weinstein said the wrestling team is supportive toward its members.

“We’re like a family. We’re very close,” Clardy said. “[Wrestling] is a great support system.”

“Our team is so incredibly encouraging, and everyone is there, rooting for each other,” Weinstein added. “Nobody has a crab mentality: If I go down, you’re going down with me. I really like how everyone is so supportive.”

Clardy said this year is full of promise for the team. 

“I see a lot of potential and a lot of heart. I see another two or three state champions and a team full of qualifiers,” Clardy said.

Weinstein said she believes her team will compete well.

“I think that we’re going to do great this year, and I think we’ll have some more state titles this year. They are very driven,” Weinstein said.