By Julia Karcewski
Round Table advertising manager

As the weather gets colder and the falls sports wind down, winter sports pre-season begins. Starting Nov. 15 winter sports teams came together to start to prepare for a successful season by running sprints, lifting weights and going over goals. For wrestlers, a different kind of preparation is required. Wrestling season means fluctuating weight, getting in shape and mental dedication.

The Middletown High School wrestling team has the mental dedication required of an athlete but, more importantly, a wrestler.

Judd Ziegler, a senior and member of the MHS wrestling team, won the region finals last year then suddenly was diagnosed with shingles and other infections which stopped him from wrestling in states.

The infections upset Ziegler more than anything, but coming into this season Ziegler has individual goals as well as team goals in order to have a victorious season once again.

 “A team goal of ours is to make it to states as a team, rather than just individuals,” said Ziegler.

Bennett Proctor, a senior on the MHS wrestling team, has a goal to beat Urbana.

“We play them on our senior night, and we lost to them last year,” said Proctor. “It should be a good match.”

Ziegler said the team chemistry is great; the returning MHS wrestlers have become a family as they have worked out and been wrestling on the same team for four years.

Mental preparation is crucial to all sports, but for wrestling, a motivational mindset is required.

“You just have to think,” said  Ziegler, “there’s always someone working harder than you. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, did I do all I could do to be the best I can be?”