Eleven De La Salle Wrestlers attend summer training camp at Oklahoma State University

Wrestling campWorking at improving their skills, eleven De La Salle wrestlers and one cousin from Shaw, attended a week-long summer team training camp at Oklahoma State University this summer.

The boys studied technique and wrestled matches with other participants.  Overall, the Cavaliers placed 10th among 22 strong teams.

Coach Rod Cusachs said, “This was a great experience for our kids.  They were wrestling guys with different backgrounds, so they learned a lot.”

The clinic was taught by OSU Coach John Smith, four-time World Champion, two-time Olympic Gold medalist, and twice coach of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling team.

De La Salle senior Raekwon Thomas said, “We learned a different style of wrestling.  Coach taught us to be faster, to be more offensive in our moves.  He said we need to have better footwork.  It was a great experience.  I got to wrestle guys from other states.”

“We met Coach John Smith, one of the best wrestlers in the country,” Jeffrey Hefner said.  “I learned how to better use angles when shooting and how to be more aggressive.”  Jeff added that the experience helped with team bonding.

Jeremiah James said, “I learned how to ‘switch,’ which will help me if I’m on the bottom and need to get on top in a match.”  He said the team also learned to work together better, to develop more commitment to the sport and each other, and the importance of warming up before a match and developing stamina.

Alex Ormond said, “It was a very valuable clinic.  I learned how to ‘throw-by,’ a method to more easily take down an opponent.  Coach Smith also stressed we need to develop quickness and speed.”

 “It was a great experience in brotherhood,” Conrad Wyre said.  Conrad and his cousin Martin Garrett from Archbishop Shaw attended together.  “Coach stressed patience and how we can better manage aggression in our matches.”  Conrad was also happy as he took home 2nd place in the 156-pound weight class in the final tournament, a special achievement.

Team members who attended the clinic included Jamar Brown, Charlie Carr, Grant Gebo, Jeffrey Hefner, Jeremiah James, Patrick Krake, Alex Ormond, Payton Smith, Raekwon Thomas, and Conrad Wyre.  They were accompanied by De La Salle Coach Rod Cusachs, and Wyre’s cousin Martin Garrett of Archbishop Shaw’s team.

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