The FWCD wrestling program has excelled this season, both in the wrestling room and in the Upper School commons. That’s right, the wrestling team held a match in the commons this year, bringing the wrestling mats into the center of the building and allowing the spectators to watch the event from above. The team also made great achievements beating St. Marks in duels for the first time since the 1970s and Coach Munoz had the most national qualifiers he has ever had in this 2025-26 season.
The wrestlers thought that the match in the commons was full of energy, especially with the fans.
“It was cool, and there was a lot of energy,” Mason Alband ’28 said. “There were a lot more fans that showed up than usual.”
The excitement and hype spread through the crowd fast, making everyone more engaged in the matches.
“The atmosphere was great, a lot of people cheering for the boys and definitely a lot more fun than listening to announcements,” Talu Taflan ’28 said.
The older wrestlers were grateful to have that experience before their season came to an end, but luckily Coach Munoz was able to make the wrestling meet in the commons a tradition for future years.
“We don’t get to go out and wrestle in the commons every day; it means a lot to the team,” Taflan said.
“I was able to talk to a lot of people, and they encouraged me to follow up and do this again next year,” Coach Munoz said.
The wrestlers had mixed opinions on wrestling in the same place where they were going to class and hanging out with friends just hours earlier.
“It was kind of weird wrestling right next to the classrooms where I go to class every day,” Alband said.
The wrestling team had great energy and an amazing team culture throughout the year.
“The team is like a family,” Leo Hatem ’28 said.
Although wrestling may look easy to someone who is watching it, playing the sport tends to be very difficult, especially with the weight cutting, conditioning, and lifting; it all takes countless hours of hard work. Wrestlers often have to cut weight so they can land in a certain weight range, but also weigh more than the person they are wrestling.
“I would say it looks harder than it is and it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it in the end to make yourself a better, stronger person,” Hatem said.
“You gotta be a little bit different to want to wrestle, you’ve gotta enjoy the grind,” Munoz said.
Other wrestlers said similar things to the behind the scenes work that needs to be done, noting how they improve physically and mentally with these challenges.
“A lot of the weight cutting and the conditioning has been hard for me, but it’s great because it’s made me better as a person and a lot more conditioned,” Andrew Bleich ’28 said.
When things get hard for the wrestlers, they know a part of wrestling is to never give up without a fight. This matters on and off the mat.
“When things get hard, I remember that I just really love the sport and I don’t think it’s something that I can give up,” Bleich said.
From wrestling in the room where we go to class every day to the wrestling room, the Falcons truly made their season known this year. Through hard work and a great team bond, they showed that wrestling is more than just a sport to them, it’s a lifestyle.
