COLLEGE WRESTLING: EXPECTATIONS RISE FOR EC MEN'S WRESTLING IN YEAR TWO (2022-11-09)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
As the Elmira College men’s wrestling team heads into the tonight’s match with Alfred State there are a lot higher expectations in year two of the program.

“I am excited, I’m a competitor at heart,” Elmira College coach CJ Bostwick said. “The preparation and getting there right now is what I’m feeling. I’m excited to get it rolling.”

This is Bostwick’s first year at the helm as he takes over from Cody Griswold. A year ago Griswold coached both the men’s and women’s teams in their first years, but this season Griswold is coaching the nationally-ranked women’s team, while Bostwick is coaching the men.

“It’s very humbling,” Bostwick said. “We have a great group of guys that they want to pursue excellence on a daily basis. They want to be uncommon. We are getting up early in the morning, practicing at 6 a.m. every day, to have the facility on our own, to be able to prepare for competition.

“Cody did a great job laying the groundwork for both programs, making sure the gentleman had what they needed and the ladies had what they needed to be successful day in and day out. The transition has been great. I have enjoyed it. These guys have made my life very easy, because they come in and work hard, do their school work, that’s a cycle for them.”

Darius Green and Hollis Berry are returning wrestlers from a small first-year roster.

“Honestly anything that made me nervous last year doesn’t,” Green said. “I don’t feel like I’m out of my element or anything like that.

“I am glad we have a bigger roster, and it has grown a lot, especially from where it started with three guys, it’s building.”

“We have been waiting a long time, I’m excited,” Berry said of year two. “Coming in with a new mindset, a new plan of action. I’m pretty excited for that.

“We have a lot more practice partners. The energy in the room is continuously great. Everyone has been working hard. I’ve been pretty pumped going into this year, telling all my friends about it, telling all my family and letting them know big things are coming.”

For Bostwick he relies a lot on the returning wrestlers on his team.

“I lean on these guys all the time,” Bostwick said. “I lean on my assistant coach Derak Heyman. “College is one of those things you get kids in who may be ready to wrestle, who may be ready to step in, and you get guys who we have to get some rust polished off.

“I’m leaning on them and making sure we have guys coming in for individual workouts. Usually I like to have a younger guy and an older guy come in so they can work together. You get the experience and we are also dangling that little balloon for the younger guy because they are going to close the gap with the older guy>

The returning wrestlers have dedicated themselves to improving and helping the team out. Green, who is from Georgia, even stayed on campus all summer to get more work in.

“I spent a lot of time,” he said. “I don’t live in state, but I decided to stay up here during the summer and I was just spreading the word, everyone is invested in the program.

“The grind never stops, and it’s easier when you are not at home (to get work in). We had a new coach coming in, we had a whole new roster coming in, so I was like I want to stay up here and meet the guys and plus I’d be closer to anyone that was returning.”

Both Green and Berry like being leaders for the new wrestlers on the team.

“I like to be a leader on the team,” Berry said. “When I am able to coach underclassmen it’s a good feeling.”

“I just like being a role model, not just in the room, but In the classroom as well,” Green said. “My freshman year I didn’t have anyone to look up to, so it’s nice to set the example.”

Bostwick is loving what he’s seeing with this year’s roster.

“I’m excited,” he said. “For me the preparation and getting there, right now is what I’m feeling. It’s phenomenal to see on a daily basis. They come into the office and say hello. They check in on me, tell me about their weekend, non wrestling related stuff, and it’s all working toward our mission to be uncommon.”

This year is a change for the Soaring Eagles as the roster size is growing.

The Soaring Eagles have nine wrestlers this year

“It’s definitely great knowing we have guys to compete and being able to potentially get some W’s even giving up a couple weight classes,” Bostwick said.

For Green and Berry they are liking having a bigger roster this year.

“It’s great to have teammates around to stick with you, keep you up even when you feel down sometimes,” Berry said. “You have a great amount of energy around.

“There are people coming from all over to wrestle at the same place, so it’s always nice to see different styles and different ways to do things. It’s always great to begin the room with them.”

And, for Berry there is some extra energy in matches trying to help your team win.

“I think having a team behind my back and I know I have to put on for them,” Berry said. “I have to put on for my coaches, it gives me an extra boost and motivation to excel on the mat and beat my opponent.”

Green loves the energy of having teammates cheering you on, and he can learn from the other wrestlers in the room.

“Last year it was kind of quiet on the sidelines, but this year the noise will definitely help keep the energy up and teammates just back you up,” Green said. “Everyone we pick up has different strengths and weaknesses and the person I practice with the most has completely opposite of me. My strengths are their weaknesses and my weaknesses are their strengths.”

While Green loves the energy of a full roster, whether a win for the team is on the line, or when it was last year with a smaller roster, Green is always on the mat trying to go out and win no matter what.

“My mindset is you go out there, you’ve got to win the match,” Green said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s for the team or it’s for yourself. You just have to go and win and as long as you win you’ve done your part.”

Both Green and Berry went through some challenges in year one, and they are motivated for bigger things in season two.

“Last year was definitely a bumpy road,” Green said. “It was a good season, but very bumpy. No one, for lack of a better term, sucks (Green said of college). You can’t underestimate anyone. yOu can’t be like that’s an easy match, every match is going to be difficult. There is always someone who is going to compete or be better than you.

“I expect a lot more, last year I lost some matches I shouldn’t have lost. Last year I made some mistakes I shouldn’t have made, but it was all because it was new and it was just tough circumstances. This year now that everything is set in stone, we have good coaches, we have good teammates. The facility is getting finished up there is no excuses, just have to perform better.”

Last year was a learning season to make the wrestlers better this year.

“It was a lot of things that needed to be fixed, but we got through it,” Berry said. “To put the extra work in constantly even when you aren’t in matches.

“Last year my goals were kind of up and down, we couldn’t figure things out. This year I’m coming in with a new mindset. I have great coaches behind me and great guys behind me as well so I’m ready to just kick some butt.”

It’s not just this year for the Soaring Eagles as they look to build something special in the future.

“I’m super excited,” Bostwick said. “We have got a lot of great amenities here at Elmira. Our stand alone facility is phenomenal. Administration is great. They re getting us the things we need to be successful and promote the program. I’m really excited to see where we can take this, especially with these guys.”

Having both a men’s and a women’s program can only be beneficial for both.

“Especially with the women having success last year, they were like shoot let’s try and have both teams like our hockey teams that are successful. That’s something when I interviewed for the job that’s the goal. We’d love to have All-American’s men and women and place in the national tournament as a team. That’s our vision as an athletic department and wrestling programs. We are one community, we support each other the best we can.”

And, the Soaring Eagles are working to get involved with area youth wrestling to help those programs, and maybe help motivate the next generation of college wrestlers.

“We are actually working on getting in with Horseheads youth club,” Bostwick said. “My guys are going to help out, help out 2-3 days a week with them. Build that relationship and maybe we can snag some recruits and just keep building that relationship from kindergarten through sixth grade all the way up to post secondary.”
——
IN PHOTO: Elmira’s Hollis Berry and Darius Green. . . PHOTO BY BRIAN FEES