As the winter season enters its final stretch, the Riordan wrestling team has begun to see the payoff from months of grueling preparation. What started as an intense preseason focused on conditioning and discipline has transformed into measurable growth on the mat.
Earlier in the season, practice ran six days a week, packed with drilling, live wrestling, sprints, and calisthenics. That demanding
routine built the foundation for a season defined by steady progress.
As Georgie Michalchuk ’26 reflected, “We saw lots of progress and made a lot of steps in building our team.”
That growth did not happen overnight. Back in the preseason, wrestler Robert Neil ’27 described practices, “We typically start at 3:45, warm ups for about 10- 15 minutes, then hard drilling for about an hour. After that we start conditioning, which is live wrestling for the first 30 minutes and then sprints and calisthenics for the next 30.”
Their daily practices were extremely laborious, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limits. At the time, the focus was simple: outwork other schools and improve every day. Motivation across both rosters has noticeably increased since the opening weeks.
“The team overall has been a lot more motivated to be better. People are taking it more seriously and putting their hearts into it,” Michalchuk said. She added, “Everyone wanting to be at practice and to compete keeps me motivated.”
That renewed focus has translated directly into stronger performances at league and weekend tournaments. Much of this focus has been spent on reinforcing fundamentals.
Wrestlers emphasized sharpening the basics: refining technique, improving positioning, and being smart and strategic within the rules.
Michalchuk said, “We realized that we had a lot to work on, but by the end of the season we were able to wrestle at a higher level.”
The results speak for themselves. Nine wrestlers qualified for CCS, and Michalchuk is statebound.
Riordan will be represented at the CCS North Region finals by Enzo Coriano ’29, Anthony Oda ’27, Ale Coriano ’26, Colin Scully ’26, Tehani Kile ’28, Hazel Nagata-Rampata ’26, and Camilla Villatoro-Fernandez ’27.
With postseason competition underway, the wrestling team continues to lean on lessons learned throughout the season, determined to finish the year on a high note. But either way, Micalchuk is proud of this year’s team, and is hopeful for the program’s future.
She said, “We saw a lot of progress and we made a lot of steps in building our team this year.”
