The varsity wrestling team competed in their first quad meet on November 23, since the COVID-19 pandemic made it harder for a regular season this past year. Grayslake North High School held a varsity quad meet with Warren, Waukegan, and Wauconda High School.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, wrestling was one of the many sports that was considered for the virus to be the most transmittable since it was a contact sport. Wrestlers last year did not get to have a regular season till the spring came around with wearing masks on the mats at all times, so this year they got started with some rules regulations, but being able to have as close to a regular season as they can.

“We have a ton of seniors, more than I have ever had in the program, so things will be much more different next year. Right now it is just good to be in the room. As a team, we will be competitive in most duals, but we do have some holes in the line up so those can be tough to overcome,” head varsity coach Collin McKillip said.

Coach McKillip who also is a life fitness teacher at North is excited to start off this wrestling season, since this time around there are more tournaments for the team to wrestle in and have that competitive feeling as they did not have it in the spring season. They also have a new coach join the team who was a former GNHS student, Alex Castiglia.

“I have always wanted a former wrestler of mine on my staff, so I think it is awesome. It shows we are doing something right that he wants to pass knowledge on to current Knights,” McKillip said.

Following the start of the season, the varsity team had their first quad meet on Tuesday with them going up against Warren and Waukegan. The whole team got to have a taste of what this season ought to bring with them beating Waukegan and being nearly so close in beating Warren. Head Coach McKillip was very pleased with the work the wrestlers had beating Waukegan with the three that competed all won by pinning their opponent in under four minutes.

“I thought it went well. I was most happy with the fact that we got nearly everyone a taste of  competition. I was happy with the way our guys wrestled with an offensive mindset and were always looking to score points. As a team, I think we need to be more focused when we are on the bench and more involved in our teammates’ matches,” McKillip said.

Overall the varsity team did very well for their first meet, but they still have some things to work on, and there was one wrestler that stood out the most this first meet to McKillip, senior Dane Schild, who wrestled for his first time since his surgery which led him to miss the spring season.

“I think Dane Schild stood out the most to me. Not because he wrestled great, but because it was nice to see him on the mat again after nearly 20 months since he missed last season due to shoulder surgery,” McKillip said.

The varsity wrestling season has just begun with more to come.