In recent years, no program has had as significant of growth as wrestling. The Best Wrestler, a top club in the state, has shown the Mount Michael wrestling program in a different light. This addition has introduced a plethora of middle and grade-schoolers to Mount Michael and the atmosphere on campus. The club has brought changes to equipment, intensity, and coaching.
Practicing with The Best Wrestler guarantees improvement and many wrestlers who have participated have gone on to be state and national champions. One Mount Michael student who has been going to this club for years is freshman Kaleb Griffith who is already a cadet world champion. Another student who can testify to how Best Wrestler has helped his wrestling is sophomore Liam Moline 27’. “Since I started going to The Best Wrestler, it has given me a competitive advantage. It has made me a more well-rounded and aggressive wrestler.”
This program isn’t just for already experienced wrestlers, though. Junior Provident Dibo 26’ began wrestling his sophomore year and has gone to the club this summer to take that next step in his wrestling ability. Much of wrestling has to do with experience but through this club, late arrivals like Dibo have a chance to catch up because of Coach Delchich’s superior coaching.
Coach Delchich brings in previous members of the club and world class athletes like Joel Adams to practice. The effect this has on the practices is immeasurable, because no other club has world class athletes coming to help coach and wrestle like The Best Wrestler. Head wrestling coach and physical education teacher Mr. Robert Sullivan, adopts certain aspects of the club practice and implements them into the high school practices. “Just watching the coaches and being around them, you can tell that they have a ton of experience and their attention to detail is unmatched,” Sullivan said.“I think the way they run their practices, they push the environment to success.” The environment is another big change the program has brought this year.
To facilitate the club practices and the larger number of wrestlers, the wrestling room has now taken the place of what was formerly the weight room. This setting change has made space for more equipment to prepare the wrestlers, which includes Bulgarian bags, resistance bands, and ropes for climbing.
It cannot be denied that the wrestling program at Mount Michael has made bounds in recent years and with the expanded room and optional club wrestling it is only a matter of time before the improvements show through results.
Through the improvements and adaptations The Best Wrestler brings, Mount Michael Wrestling plans on taking the next step in its development. This addition is not only for this year. Through the youth practices the wrestling program sets itself up for success by introducing fanatical wrestlers to a fantastic school. As Brian Ostrander ‘26 said, “The competitive atmosphere challenges you to be the best.”
