The Rampage Spring 2019

by Chris DeBerry Graphic Communication • 2020 New Team in Town The Rampage Sports 26

L ast fall, Bluefield College added to its growing list of athletic teams a wres- tling squad, and under the direction of new head coach Jason Waelti, the young Rams are laying the foundation for success. Eighteen wrestlers—all fresh- men—make up the first-year roster. That number is lower than other schools with which BC competes as the Rams continue to grow, including Cumberland University who fields 25 wres- tlers, which is

Davidson College, the University of North Carolina, and West Virginia University. Other key wins this season include conference victories over West Virginia Tech on December 8, 2018 and Allen University on January 13, 2019, as well as the school’s first ever individual wrestling tour- nament championship in the Cumberland University Open on January 26, 2019. There, Reynolds and Young were named co-champions of the 174-pound weight class. Despite just four overall team wins in 22 matches in their inaugural season, the Rams are excited about the future of BC wrestling. “All I am going to say is that the Bluefield wrestling program is about to be on the come up,” Jackson said. “Give us one or two more years, and you will see.” With the regular season com- plete, the Rams will enter their first-ever post-season play on February 16 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament in Cleveland, GA.

The other freshmen joining Jackson of Ruskin, FL, on the first- ever Ram wrestling squad are: Hunter Alto of Lynchburg, VA; Will Anders of Elk Creek, VA; Jacob Booth of Daleville, VA; Matthew Bourne of Fries, VA; Avery Brown of Atlanta, GA; Gustavo Gomez of Galax, VA; Pablo Maltez of Hyattsville, MD; Gabe McReynolds of Bristol, VA; Caleb Money of Yadkinville, NC; Gerron Poston of Willard, OH; Noah Reynolds of Rock Hill, SC; Donnell Solomon of Chantilly, VA; Robert “Trey” White of Princeton, WV; Xander Whitehurst of Christiansburg, VA; Isaac Wright of Abingdon, VA; Derrick Young of Tazewell, VA; and Luke Young of Troutville, VA. The newly formed Rams wres- tling team saw its first action in the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech on November 4, 2018. In that tournament, BC’s Reynolds recorded the school’s first ever wrestling win in a match against Rahsaan Vereen of the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. The Rams competed against the likes of Virginia Tech, The Citadel, George Mason University,

much closer to the average for most colleges.

“We’ve faced many struggles this year, not having as many wres- tlers as other schools or the experience that other schools have,” said BC’s DeAndre

Jackson about the challenges of a first-year program.