Last Friday and Saturday, the West High Varsity wrestling team competed in the Asics So Cal Challenge. In this long and epic meet, West’s athletes walked out proud with results that reflected their hard work.

Usually, wrestlers compete in dual meets that only involve two schools. The Asics So Cal Challenge, however, includes competitors from all over California. It is also unique because it spans over the course of two days instead of one.

Prior to the event, Jonathan Pak (12) said he “was nervous, but eager to face off.” This appeared to be the mentality of the entire team. Fortunately, West earned one silver and two bronze medals—placing in three of the eight weight classes. Mark Yang (11) was “glad that his hard work paid off.” Anthony Colunga (12), another medalist, said “[his] victory gave him more motivation to try even harder.”

Other wrestlers were also satisfied with their performance. Jay Kim (11) said that “West is definitely one of the best schools in the city and could easily become the best.”

When asked about what was most helpful, wrestlers usually agreed it was the conditioning. Everyday the varsity wrestlers came to school and practiced for six hours. The Asics So Cal Challenge was a great event—serving as benchmarks of their skills for the athletes.