The Salida High School wrestling program is getting ready for an exciting season under Coach Steve Myers, whose decades of experience and focus on athlete development will set the tone for success. For nearly three decades, Coach Myers has been shaping young wrestlers.
Even though the team lost many seniors from last year’s roster, Myers remains optimistic about this upcoming season. “So, this year’s wrestling team, we’ve lost, I think, four or five seniors, but I think we’ve got some guys that will fill in their places, so we should have another pretty good season this year. We’ve got a state champion coming back, and we got a couple state qualifiers coming back,” he explained.
The first meet of the season was a home dual, which gave the wrestlers a chance to showcase their skills. The meet occurred on Friday, December 5th, and the team headed to Buena Vista for a meet on the 6th. Myers expressed confidence in their preparation for their first meet, but he acknowledged that challenges lay ahead. “We should have a really good season—just with the tournaments I’ve got scheduled, the dual tournaments, and just everything we’ve got scheduled—we should have a really good season. It’s gonna be a tough one but [we] should be prepared for what we need to be,” Myers said.
Rhiana Craig, the manager of the Girls’ Team, said the first meet went well, with members staying determined and “not backing down,” even when matches were intense.
Unlike some programs that are based on competing against a particular team, Myers stresses individual performance. “You do get team scores, but we’re looking individualized.”
The way the team approaches practice is important for athletes such as returning state champion Sam Johnson, who will be wrestling at a different weight class this year.
Myers also described what a typical practice looks like, balancing technique, conditioning and increasing intensity as the season progresses. “We start off easing into it, so it’s an ease into it, just to show from our technique, storing stance and movement technique, then work into strength and conditioning. As the season gets . . . a little harder . . . we push to get a little more as it goes, so it gets harder and harder as you go.”
With the returning state champion, several state qualifiers, and a roster full of determined athletes, the wrestling program under Coach Steve Myers hopes to be set for success. His nearly 30 years of coaching experience, focus on individual growth, and dedication to preparation promise another strong season for Salida wrestling.
