On Dec. 20, the wrestling team competed in the Doc Hess Memorial Tournament at the Legends Event Center in Bryan, Texas. This tournament was successful as it cemented Westwood’s name as a formidable opponent not just in their district, but also to a regional extent.

A major Texas wrestling event, Doc Hess, hosted over 1,500 athletes from all over Texas, featuring both varsity and sub varsity levels. This provided an exciting opportunity for all levels of experience.

“We’ve [only] had the wrestling program for five years,” Coach Kevin Beers said. “We’re making huge strides.”

Overall, at Doc Hess, the team made their best performance this year, taking eight total varsity wrestlers with 17 combined wins by the end of the tournament. Alongside this, the Warriors brought a complete team of 31 subvarsity wrestlers, encompassing JV, novice, and rookie levels. 

Westwood took home 16 total medals, nine of which landed in first place. First place boy’s winners include freshmen Elijah Allen and Max Koch, alongside sophomores Silas Fletcher, Micah Morel, Weston Keller, Teddy Kubelka, and Nikita Shitikov. Girl’s first place winners included Deighan Cherry ‘28 and Dominique Jons ‘27.

“Our guys are very competitive this year, as we have a lot of talent coming back,” Coach Beers said. “Our ladies finished second in districts last year, after only really being relevant for two years.”

The Warriors not only showed their discipline on the mat, but also on the sidelines. Members of the team, such as Aisley Romansky ‘27, were employed as table workers, who are crucial volunteers that manage scoring and accuracy from the side.

“Even though I was injured and I wasn’t able to compete, I was still able to be helpful,” Romansky said. “We had a lot of fun and overall it was a great experience.”

The team has been working hard, even over the break, as the women’s and men’s teams look forward to the upcoming Canyon Comal tournament, which will occur on Jan. 3.