The New Philadelphia wrestling team is coming off a 13-6 season and started off this winter successfully, with a 48-21 win over John Glenn high School.
The Quakers were led by Garrett Dillion-Rine, who was named the wrestler of the match. He collected his 99th career win and also tied the school record for fastest pin with seven seconds.
“During this season we would like to match or improve on our record from last season,” said Coach Cory Swinderman. “We have added very tough competition to our schedule for this season: Bishop Watterson, Louisville, Lack Catholic, and more.”
The team brings back a solid core of wrestlers led by Dillion-Rine along with Ez Williams (86 career wins), and Edgar Mijia-Ramos (80 career wins), junior Crespo Reyes, and two sophomores Tyler Ulmer (43 career wins), and Cam Richardson (37 career wins). Reyes spent the summer working on his skills.
“Our team does a great job rallying around each other and working hard,” Swinderman said. “Most of the seniors on the varsity team have been a part of the line up since their freshman year. As a coaching staff we are hoping that weights stay spread out and wrestlers that should be in the lineup are at the correct weights.”
Last season Dillion-Rine placed fifth at districts and has 77 career pins. Williams qualified for stats last year, and Mijia-Ramos was sixth at districts. Mijia-Ramos has been a champion in the classroom, as well, with a cumulative GPA of 4.275. Ulmer was sixth at districts and has 25 career pins, while Richardson has 29 career pins.
Swinderman has been the head coach of New Philadelphia since 2017 and has a 56-52 record. He was also an assistant coach from 2009 to 2013, and the head coach of St. Thomas Aquinas from 2014 to 2016. He bases much of how he coaches on what he learned from Jack Nutter.
“We are an attacking style wrestling team that likes to push the pace,” Swinderman said, noting that the team has a motto of “SYN.” “It pertains to state banners that we have hanging in our wrestling room.”
Next up is the Barnesville Doan Ford Wrestling Invitational- a 28 team meet at Barnesville High School on Dec. 15 at 4:30 p.m.
