January 2007: Millcreek Journal

Young Eagles Hoping to be Competitive in Region Wrestling Race
by Josh McFadden

In a sport dominated by region powerhouses Brighton and Alta, the Skyline wrestling program is struggling to keep up.  But the team is making strides.

Last season, under the direction of first year head coach Syd Lott, the Eagles were victorious in nine regular season matches.  That was more than they had won the previous three seasons combined. And though the club lost a key senior and will be without its top competitor from last season, the Eagles are still hoping to do well this season.

“We can compete against a lot of teams,” Lott said. “We have a lot of good kids who work hard and have fun.”

Though Skyline said goodbye to only one senior from the 2006 team, standout John Gappmier also had to be replaced. The 125-pound wrestler placed second in state last season but transferred to another school this year. He was the only Eagle to place in the 2006 5A state tournament. The rest of the team is fairly young and inexperienced, though the program is growing in numbers.

Lott said the team is gaining wrestlers each year and has seen better retention throughout the year. He said most wrestling teams see members leave the program during the course of the year, but that hasn’t been the case for the Eagles.

Senior Josiah Cunningham provides experience and leadership for Skyline, while juniors Ian McKnight and Eric Meyer are trying to fill Gappmier’s shoes.

“[McKnight and Meyer] can beat anyone,” Lott said. “They just need to get the little things right.”

Lott’s biggest objective is to build the program’s depth. The state’s top wrestling schools are successful in large part because of the sheer numbers they have on the squad. In a sport where points are gained by wrestlers in 13 different weight divisions, having a large pool of wrestlers is critical. Last season, a lack of depth hurt the Eagles, as they didn’t even have competitors in three separate weight divisions. This automatically gave Skyline’s opponents 18 points.

“We need to work hard to generate interest in wrestling,” Lott said. “We need to go into the junior high schools and work with the kids.”

Still, Lott is pleased with those who are on his squad, particularly the underclassmen that will be around to help expand the program in the years to come.

“Our young kids have stuck through it,” he said. “They are doing well for the team and are working hard.”

The Eagles began 2007 with a Jan. 5 match at Jordan. Results were unavailable at press time. The team faces Taylorsville Jan. 26 to conclude regular season matches.  The region and state tournament follows.