Coach Swinson Pleased with Direction of Wrestling Program
Gavin Gleason
The Wrestling Manchester Spartans had a meet on Dec. 4 in Crawfordsville at Wabash College that helped them gain mat experience that will really available in the long run. The Spartans had a productive day with Joshua Stephenson, Gabe Phillips, Alex Searfoss and Victor Lee all winning their matches.
So far this season the tournaments have all been open, which means that all of the wrestlers get an opportunity to wrestle every weekend. They have not yet wrestled in any single dual meets to this point of the season.
Head Coach Steve Swinson has plans for the season. “I am really excited in the direction that the wrestling program is going so far,” he said. “We have made tremendous leadership from our seniors and the culture of the wrestling team is as good as I have seen in mine many years of coaching.” The wrestlers are adapting and learning well with getting a new coach a week and a half after college wrestling season started.
The leaders of the team are fifth-year Joshua Stephenson and senior Elijah Phillips, who have been outstanding with providing leadership this season. Joel Arney and Jeremiah Ford have also done a great job of helping the first years during practices and games.
The upcoming events for the team are this weekend at North Central invitational in Naperville, IL on Dec. 11, “Gator Boots” invitational in Nashville, TN on Dec. 18, and Manchester University’s home tournament called the “Spartan Mat” on Jan. 15.
Swinson is looking forward to the events. “With this being my first season, I am trying to build a program with a foundation that will build depth year in and year out by bringing in student/athletes with high academics and a great knowledge and success of wrestling in their past,” he said. “We want to be a program that is as competitive as any D-3 institution in Indiana and surrounding states.”