March 2008:
South Valley Journal
Riverton Wrestling Completes Jarring Season
by Brett Perfili
Riverton High’s wrestlers recently battled through one of
the worst seasons they have suffered since the school
opened in 2000. However, with all of the negativity it
faced, the team still finished up the season strong, and
has much to look forward to in future seasons.
Riverton sent five wrestlers to compete in the state
tournament that was held at the McKay Events Center Feb.
13 to 15. No wrestlers from Riverton won their weight
class division, but all won at least one match in the
double elimination event. After the first day of the
competition, all five wrestlers were still in the contest,
and three of the wrestlers went on to wrestle in the
championship in the end.
“We finished stronger than I expected,” Riverton wrestling
coach Russ Crump said. “[We] always wish we had more [in
state competition]. We expected eight or nine.”
The positive outcome at the end of season was satisfying
for the RHS team because of the rough season it dealt
with.
The wrestling team faced its share of trials and
tribulations; seven main wrestlers did not compete
quitting the team during the season for various reasons
including
work conflicts, poor grades and frustration with their own
progress.
According to Crump, several of the players that could
compete at a high level for Riverton performed poorly in
the classroom with poor grades and attendance.
And that’s why they were not there with the team for the
whole season.
“We figured to have three or four more guys in the state
ranking, but they were ineligible,” he said.
This is a season Crump is glad to have behind him.
“We should be better next year. A lot of our distractions
will be gone,” he said. “I don’t think our players will be
ineligible again. That experience is behind us.”
One reason Crump has reason to believe that Riverton will
be better next year is three returning state qualifiers.
Among those three is Seth Endemano who is ranked as the
fourth-best wrestler in his weight division, 171 pounds,
going into next season. He competed in the state
competition and took third place in Region 3.
“He [Endemano] is very driven. Extremely hard working,”
senior Riverton wrestling captain Eli Fielden said. “It
wouldn’t surprise me if he became state champion.”
Crump admitted there weren’t a lot of highlights
throughout the season, but was optimistic because of the
performance that he saw from the kids in the final
stretch.
“Every week there was one or two kids that did very well,”
Crump said. “The time and effort that the kids put in at
the end was good.”
The Riverton wrestling team will move on from this rough
season and begin preparing for next season this summer.
The team will attend a camp in June in Orem put on by
Olympic gold medal winner, wrester Rulon Gardner.
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