Wrestlers still cutting weight after Thankgiving dinners

This past Thanksgiving, many Mount Carmel wrestlers spent their day off with their families, celebrating by eating large, unhealthy, and delicious dinners. This disappointed Coach Alex Tsirtsis because the next day wrestlers were weighing in at about two weight classes too high. Their return after the week-long break from practice has raised concerns among the Caravan wrestling community. In short, the coaches and families associated with wrestling are hoping for another state championship and are worried the new, thicker team won’t be up to scratch come February. 

Some have considered whether the wrestlers should try to use this as a bulk and now move up a few weight classes each. This was quickly shot down by Coach Tsirtsis. 

“Where am I going to get a new 113 from?” said the state champion coach, who does not believe that would be a good idea. Sophomore Seth Mendoza, Carmel’s 113-pound wrestler, was sitting at a cool 128 pounds after his Thanksgiving meal. 

Other than the majority of the freshman class, who Coach Alex is “tired of”, there aren’t any people small enough to even compete at the 113-pound range, much less become the next Mendoza. This means the varsity wrestlers will have to be back down to their original weight restrictions within the month. 

MC’s athletic trainer Mr. Julius Henry doesn’t think that is a good option either. “With all this weight they need to cut, it just doesn’t seem healthy,” he said. 

According to the athletic trainer/health teacher, losing more than a pound per week isn’t safe. In the past, wrestlers would wear garbage bags to practice, refuse to eat or drink, and then run in the morning before weigh-ins. This was the reason a weight certification (a series of tests to make sure the athletes are healthy at the weight they compete at) was created. However, that was to make sure wrestlers were able to healthily wrestle at that weight, without dehydration or sickness. The Carmel wrestlers face the problem of getting back down to that weight in a reasonable time, which Mr. Henry doesn’t believe is possible. 

Coach Tsirtsis argues that it is, saying that the wrestlers should be able to lose that much weight in a few days if they just “try hard enough.” He has taken to making the wrestlers run a few miles every day before school, but the colder temperatures are cooling them down too much for the exercise to be effective. Coach Daniel Burke of the cross country team has been giving him tips on effective track workouts to help the wrestlers lose weight. 

Junior Lukas Tsirtsis, Coach Tsirtsis’ nephew, is still stuck at around 120 pounds. Lukas is currently attempting alternative weight loss options, such as praying, getting a tapeworm to prevent more calories from entering his system, and finally, crying more. Lukas has mentioned his mental health did decline over the course of the season, and being able to bawl in a way that helped him lose weight was a plus. 

This newfound “weeping” method really sparked some interest with senior Sergio Lemley, a three-time state champion for wrestling at Carmel. Many of his classmates describe him as a quiet, stoic young man, but after his Thanksgiving binge he felt the need to “let it all out.” 

       The JV team has less to worry about, with half of the team still uncertified (meaning they are registered to be healthy at the weight they compete at). Coach Jack Mulay is confident, however, that this new weight will help the wrestlers succeed in their upcoming matches.  

“BOYS!” he said loudly after the first few attempts to get their attention were ignored. “Fellas, we’re going to show Wilmington what’s up next weekend. [Sophomore Mason] Slawinski, you’re going to be our new 136-pounder. [Freshman] Declan Gill, you’ll be the 285 if [freshman] Landin [Carter] can’t make it down. Yo! Landin, you’ll have to drop a lot to stay under 285, but I think you can do it. Let’s get you with [senior] Nick [Naujokas] upstairs to sweat it out. ‘Kay?”

The JV team seemed to be okay with trying to lose the weight, but currently there appears to be a disproportionate amount of heavyweights on the team, with six of the seventeen people being over 225 pounds.

Seniors Jorge Aguilar and Joseph Maturo, as well as freshmen Declan Gill, Landin Carter, Chukwuebuka “Buka” Odeluga, and junior Javier Banks are all competing for the heavyweight spot on the team. Four people are fighting for the 182-pound spot, and three are going for the 160 position. Many members of the JV team aren’t too sure if they can make it down, but Coach Mulay is confident.

“The guys will work it out,” said an unconcerned Coach Mulay. The JV team has been trying hard to please their coach, who is described as “the nicest person to walk the planet” by an anonymous source. Coach Mulay brushed off the comment, saying, “The boys work harder than I do. They’re good kids.” However, immediately after saying this, a fistfight broke out between senior Joey Gilbert and sophomore Mason Slawinski over a bottle of Gatorade. 

Coach told The Merchant after stopping the fight that it was “completely understandable due to the high pressure of the situation. Back in ‘17 when I was wrestling here at Carmel I would sometimes get mad about cutting weight too. It’s all about getting down and doing it, though. Which they totally can.” Mulay’s confidence in his team isn’t completely unfounded, as they performed well at the Rex Lewis Invitational, a varsity tournament with over 15 teams. 

Both the JV and varsity coaches seem to be very positive about the whole situation, but as December rolls around, the MC wrestling community is praying for a Christmas miracle.