Fall conditioning program held for PC/Hall wrestlers

GRANVILLE — Ask any area wrestling coach what it takes to prepare a team for competition and they will tell you one word: practice. The Putnam County/Hall wrestling squad has epitomized the word practice this fall in preparation for its upcoming season which will start on Nov. 25.

The PC/Hall wrestling program is led by coach Jerry Kriewald, Assistant coach and junior varsity coach is Joe Rue. Veteran wrestler and former head coach Chris Quigley now volunteers his time to help the team members get ready for the season.

“Coach Quigley went over technique and mat strategy. We have two seniors from Putnam County, Mario Flores and Ben Garland. Returning varsity letterwinner Luke McCook and two junior high wrestlers are moving up, Charlie McCook and Collin Holmes. Right now we have 10 PC athletes and nine from Hall  With a tougher schedule this year, I am excited to see the teams progress,” Kriewald said.

“We have just been drilling technique over and over,” Quigley said. “We drilled low single leg on both sides and that was it. We work on takedowns at practice on the big mats. We pick up some new technique and work it so it will become an automatic movement. Practice makes perfect.”

On Tuesdays and Thursdays since school has started, wrestlers come to the R.M. Germano Gym and work moves repeatedly. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday a lifting schedule was posted and followed. Wrestlers could do their lifting at Putnam County or at Hall High School in Spring Valley.

An amount of conditioning is involved for any student athlete and wrestling is no different. Cardio is important and working muscles that are not normally needed in an everyday life is key. If muscles are not strengthened and built up, injuries happen quickly. Kriewald has designed a lifting schedule that works on each part of the body.

“Its grueling. If you don’t have the lung power you are done,” Quigley said.

One of the challenges that PC/Hall is going to face this year is being classified as 2A in the Illinois High School Association athletics programs. Wrestling will be no different.

“We are the smallest school in the state in class 2A,” Quigley said. “It will be a tough year.”

Numbers with the program vary each week with a lot of the wrestlers participating in football at Hall. PC freshman Charlie McCook has been one of the wrestlers that has participated in the program this fall. McCook started wrestling in the Puma Wrestling Club at Putnam County Junior High School

“We have been following Coach Kriewald’s lifting schedule. One time we work our arms, the next our legs,” McCook said. “We worked on single leg moves this week with the coaches.”

Repetition does not seem to phase the athletes. Wrestlers will tell you that you learn the move better this way.

“We have to do it until we get it right,” McCook said.

Putnam County Senior Ben Garland knows that practice is important to becoming a better wrestler.

“We have been doing this since school started,” Garland said. “The weightlifting program is designed to develop stamina, not as much muscle mass. In wrestling you need a lot more stamina as well as the technique.”

The wrestlers often run in practice since the season has started.

“Running is an important part of building up stamina. You have got to be able to last the whole match,” Garland said. “In giving advice to any new wrestler, I would say run a lot.”

PC/Hall hits the road for their six meets of the season. Their first home meet will be Dec. 19 against Midland and Marquette.