Admittedly, tears were shed Monday during the first Arlington High School girls wrestling practice of the season.
Thankfully, now in their third year, the Eagles have enough experience to know that times will get tough as the team builds to another crack at district and state medals. Senior Kelise Krivohlavek, who earned AHS' first-ever state medal last February, said she spoke to the teammate who shed tears at the start of the week.
“I told her, 'It's fine. We've all had that point where we've been crying,'” the fourth-place finisher at 125 pounds said. “I've had that point coming off of the mat and just, instantly, crying.”
Wrestling, after all, pushes its participants in ways they may have never been pushed before.
“It's overwhelming and you're new to it,” Krivohlavek said, recalling the previous day's conversation. “You've just got to ease into it.”
First-year head coach Layne Laaker, a former assistant, admitted to feeling the pressure of his new role in the sport as well.
“Not that pressure is a bad thing,” he said Tuesday.
The coach's first-week goal was to make practices look and feel how he wants them to. He's implementing some new verbiage and a different daily regimen, but the most-experienced girls team in school history to date was taking to it early.
“It was pretty good,” said returning state-qualifier Brooklyn Ruskamp, commenting on the first day of practice. “I'm super excited for the new coach that we have.”
Laaker is excited about the possibilities this year alongside his assistant coaches — Madison Pawoll and Eric Daigle — too. There are 10 returning letter winners back on the mat this winter, including starters Sofie Lewis, Ruskamp, Rylie Kyllo, Krivohlavek, Callee Shearer, Jaydin Allen, Dianna Flores, and Caitlyn Camp.
“Going into it we only have three girls that have absolutely zero experience wrestling completely,” Laaker said. “So there's not, especially this first week, a lot of words I'm going to be throwing at them that's going to be complete utter chaos.”
Krivohlavek shared how she believes the girls' new head coach will build on what they've already established under boys coach Doug Hart during the program's first two seasons.
“He's going to make us a lot more confident on the mat and more aggressive,” the Eagle said. “And get us away from our fears of taking shots and doing things we're not comfortable doing.”
After a 38-4 season, Krivohlavek said she's not looking at her senior campaign too terribly different from how she viewed her junior year.
“I don't want to jinx myself,” the state medalist said. “I just want to get to state and do what I can do.”
Ruskamp, meanwhile, is excited to take the next step in her development after a 22-14 ninth-grade year.
“I'm just doing a lot more high-level repetition, and becoming more mentally tough and confident in my abilities,” the sophomore said.
Altogether, wrestling mats and wrestlers packed the Blue Gym on Tuesday after school. Not only were there high school boys and girls practicing, but the junior high girls team, too.
“Just watching all of it come together is really cool since I had to wrestle boys when I was their age,” Ruskamp said of the seventh- and eighth-graders.
Laaker likes the promise of his program this year and beyond, too.
“Obviously it's early, but looking down the road in just what our lineup could look like, especially with all of the girls that have experience and the new Class B, I just think the potential for this team is unknown,” he said. “I think these girls are really determined to reach out and see how high that ceiling can be this first year with Class B girls.”
Krivohlavek and Ruskamp were the Eagles' first two state qualifiers in a single-class operation last season. Now, with both A and B, there's even more opportunity. It may just take hard work — and a tear or two — to get there.
AHS opens the season Dec. 6 at the Columbus Lakeview Invitational.
