wrestlers were full of fire and determination, but they were also full of bad habits. Since the team is split up into different weight classes, each wrestler is concerned with staying in his weight class. Their concerns lead some to unhealthy diets and extreme workouts.
    One varsity wrestler, Ryan Winter, went 2 weeks eating only a bag of M&Ms every day. Other wrestlers starved themselves for days. Ryan also wore trash bags as clothes underneath his workout clothes, which allowed him to sweat more while running.
    Six years ago, the heat in the wrestling annex was unbearable during practices. Keeping the heat turned up and keeping layers of clothes on allowed the wrestlers to sweat off the weight. If the guys met their weight at weigh-in, they would pig out in the locker room, with some of them eating 2 to 3 chicken biscuits within minutes. Since the wrestlers participated in these extreme diets and workouts, the team had issues with starvation and dehydration.
    Winter has come back from college to help the wrestling team and to help out Coach Bellantoni and Coach Fleckenstein. He wishes he could help with the practices more often and offer his advice. He realizes the team is healthier than they have ever been and comments, "They’re a young team, but they have potential. All they need is a little fire in their belly."
    Today our wrestling team takes more precautions when it comes to maintaining weight and staying healthy. Coach Bellantoni is concerned to keep the team within a healthy weight class.
    At the beginning of the year, the wrestlers had to participate in a hydration test to determine a healthy weight class to be in. They are only allowed to lose or gain 1% of their body weight during the season.
    Coaches will not force the team to be on special diets. If the wrestlers come to them and ask for their advice on gaining or losing weight, the coaches will recommend healthy ways to eat. Coach Bellantoni recommends that the whole team "cut out all french fries and fast food and keep a low carb diet and eat a lot of meat."
    If you ask the team what diets they are on, most will answer, "I don’t eat the day before matches." Others, like junior Pablo Bermudez, stay on a very low calorie diet.
    Another change for the better is how the team practices. The heat in the annex is still kept on, but it is not nearly as hot as it used to be. When asked why the annex was kept so warm, Coach Bellantoni comments, "The heat keeps the mats soft, which prevents injuries on the team." The wrestlers do not practice in layers of clothing. Most of them just wear shorts and a t-shirt.
    The only change for the worst with the team is that they are lacking the fire that the team had 6 years ago. Coach Bellantoni has worked very hard the past few years to get the team to the top. He often changes his practice techniques to bring out the best results.
    Teammates encourage each other during practices, and the coaches work the team hard to try to keep them motivated. Senior varsity wrestler Justin Durden is always there encouraging his fellow teammates. He does not like to see his team get worn out or discouraged. The team needs support and encouragement, and that will bring their fire back.
    The team’s habits have definitely changed for the better, and the wrestlers are healthier as a result. Coach Bellantoni is proud of the wrestlers for the hard work they put in every day, and he plans on making them the best athletes they can be.