Liberty Wrestling Enters Season With Confidence

The Liberty Men’s Club Wrestling team just released their new 2022 to 2023 schedule. The new schedule is action packed and includes two new locations. One kind of wrestling competition is a “duel” or where two teams face off against each other (Preston). Liberty’s National Duel competition has been moved 3 weeks earlier to the first week in January. The location of this competition also has been moved to Louisville, Kentucky. That will be an action packed two weeks as the team travels to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the Citrus Classic tournament.

The Citrus Classic tournament is a heavy taxing weekend; and with the National Duel’s competition being that next weekend I think that will provide a real challenge for the team in many aspects. Physically with the guys wrestling many matches in two weekends I think that will take a major toll on the body. A good rest week in-between these matchups will be important. Mentally I think this 2 week span will be challenging as well. From personal experience running many races or playing multiple matches in a row is mentally brutal. I think head coach Jesse Castro can play a part in heightening the moral.

The Flames wrestle in the Messiah Invitational, the Cougar Open, and the Lindenwood Open on back to back weekends. The travel team is much bigger this year with around 25 guys compared to 15 guys. This will be a heavy load for all the athletes but especially for the new wrestlers being thrown into the season. This hefty load on the athletes isn’t something that they can’t wrestle though. Pun intended!

The Flames will have a home match against West Virginia on February 11 and compete in the Mid Atlantic Conference tournament on February 25 which is also at home. The Flames will wrap up their season at the beginning of March at the NCWA Nationals competition. The location is to be determined.

The men’s wrestling team is coming off a great ending to last season. They ended the season on a high note at the NCWA nationals where 6 Flames were crowned individual champions.

As a previous athlete and from personal experience coming off a high note is such a confidence booster. I think that the individual champions from last year will bring a confidence to the team that they need going into an action-packed season. Confidence is key when competing and I think the men’s team will get off on the right foot because of it.