Troy senior Austin Matheney hooks his arm around Olivet’s Wyandotte first-year Gabriel Gibbons’s chest as he tries to push off the mat. This was one of five matches that Albion won against Olivet University at their senior night (Photo by Domis Gibson).
The stands were full of fans and family members as the men’s wrestling team went up against the University of Olivet for their senior night on Thursday. After two 30-second tiebreaker rounds in the heavyweight class, the meet ended in a one-point loss for the Britons with a final score of 18-19.
It’s been five years since the wrestling program was reinstated at Albion College, making this year’s group of seven seniors the second graduating class for the men’s team. Head coach Tom Hall said the seniors have spent the last four years in the program helping build structure through team bonding and encouragement.
“These guys pick each other up and support each other even when it’s not always going great,” Hall said.
Like many of the seniors, Oxford senior Jack Smith said he has been on the mat all four years.
Although Smith and Mentor, Ohio, senior Brixton Bright attended but did not compete, Smith said he still values “all the hard work put into matches.”
Hall said that the seniors on the team “love the sport of wrestling through and through.”
“Being able to be around guys that are that dedicated and that committed, who truly pour everything they have into the sport, it just makes me feel very fortunate,” Hall said.
Senior members of the Albion College men’s wrestling team line up with their family members, head coach Tom Hall, and assistant coach Owen McDaniel before their final match. Six of the seven seniors hold up framed and signed pictures from their past events at Albion (Photo by Domis Gibson).Rochester senior Cade Odrobina posts Olivet’s DeWitt first-year Trenden Bashore’s arm to set up his next move. Their individual match ended in a loss for Odrobina of 1-4 points (Photo by Domis Gibson).Union City senior Garrett Iobe pins Olivet’s Farmington Hills senior Gideon Loewen’s torso to the mat as the buzzer goes off. Iobe forced Loewen to try to pull himself out of the hold, dragging himself to the edge of the mat (Photo by Domis Gibson).Midland senior Peyton Brooks tries to pin his opponent, Olivet’s Grand Blanc sophomore Juwan Vines. Brooks won this match by 18-1 (Photo by Domis Gibson).Jackson fifth-year Bode Brown stands in front of his opponent, Olivet’s Columbiaville junior Mason Knight, as they prepare to begin their match. Brown lost the match in a two-round tiebreaker with a score of 1-3 (Photo by Domis Gibson).
Domis Gibson is a first-year student from Chicago, Illinois. They are double-majoring in Psychology and Art. Their motivation is to be able to visualize the world in new ways and share that with others. They love to spend time having vibey photo shoots with their friends. They can be contacted at [email protected]
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