LYNN — Lynn’s co-op wrestling team (Lynn Classical, Lynn English, Lynn Tech, St. Mary’s) held a home-opening dual-meet against Essex Tech Wednesday. Despite the Hawks escaping with a 54-43 win, there were plenty of positives on the mats at Lynn Tech.
Lynn struggled with participation numbers last year, but this season, there are nearly 40 kids on its roster.
“Last year, we had 10 guys. This year, we’re up to 35-40 kids,” said coach Dan Koziski. “We have a bit of a log jam at 160 pounds to 175 pounds, so we’re trying to rotate and put the right guys through.”
Essex Tech won the first four matches before Lynn’s Pablo Maldonado (138 pounds) dominated his opponent.
“Pablo is a jiu-jitsu guy, so that goes hand-in-hand with wrestling,” Koziski said. “Pablo was awesome last year and I’m glad he’s returned because he’s a great wrestler.”
Yashiv Lopez followed Maldonado with another win for much-needed momentum.
A highlight sequence was when Omar DeJesus and Davi De Oliveira won back-to-back matches via pinfall. Then, Anthony Ortiz also won via pin at 285 pounds.
“Anthony, at heavyweight, looked good. He came out for the team last year, but he wanted to focus on his grades. He’s back this year and he’s a beast at 279 pounds,” Koziski said. “Omar and Davi are both technical guys — they’re just growing. A lot of these guys are raw, but they’re growing. At this time last year, I would have had half the team. They’re sticking around and they’re driving each other to be better, which I like.”
This year, Lynn added four wrestlers from St. Mary’s to help boost numbers.
“We have four kids from St. Mary’s who came over at the last minute. Matt Zukowski is a sophomore and catching on really well. He understands everything quickly. It was unfortunate we couldn’t get him on the mat today,” Koziski said. “We also have Jaxon Trahnt, Lily Rice, and Luka Dalemeida from St. Mary’s.”
When asked what he’s hoping for this winter, Koziski said he wants the kids to enjoy the experience and come back for years to come.
“A lot of them are young, which is a good foundation and base for years to come. I have a handful of sophomores and a handful of juniors, so, hopefully, they’ll continue to build the program,” he said. “That’s the win itself — if we can keep the numbers and keep the desire.”
Lynn’s next match is Tuesday when it travels to face Pentucket.
