With the end of the school year approaching, various sports and athletics have entered the offseason. After rollercoaster months full of ups and downs, varsity athletes reflect on the past year and look to next fall, likely filled with rigorous team tryouts and training sessions.

“My wrestling season was pretty good,” junior Joe Kuntz said. “I won six of my individual matches, and as a team, we had people go to Regionals and State.”

This year was Kuntz’s first season as part of the school’s varsity wrestling team. With every training session, match and tournament, he gained experience.

“I grew in character,” Kuntz said. “I plan to take that into next season to become more successful, drill harder and be more determined to get better.”

The wrestling team primarily competes during the winter months. Therefore after the season is over, the team refocuses to building fitness and strength.

“During the offseason we do a different style in wrestling to help us in folk style, the style used in high school,” Kuntz said. “It helps you stay off your back, become more agile and prevents certain injuries from happening.”

Varsity basketball also competes during the winter months and narrowly missed the playoffs this season.

“This year we started off pretty good by beating the number two team in the state,” junior Doak Kuhne said. “But halfway through in the last half of games, we did not do as well as we wanted to.”

The varsity team will lose five seniors to graduation, but Kuhne promises that the juniors will step up and lead the team to victory next year.

“We learned from them a lot, both their mistakes and their accomplishments,” Kuhne said. “We want to build from this past season.”

The varsity volleyball team also has experienced growth in the last few months. To prepare for next fall, junior Sarah Sanders plans to compete during the summer.

“Over the summer, I play club volleyball and I will be going to Junior Nationals in late June,” Sanders said.

Playing on both club and school varsity volleyball teams may provide the opportunity for athletes to gain more attention from collegiate scouts.

“I sometimes have to miss school for club volleyball tournaments,” Sanders said. “But the summer after sophomore year I committed to the University of Oklahoma (OU).”

Although this year’s juniors competed on the varsity team, their spots are not guaranteed next year.

“Know that there is somebody right behind you trying to get that spot because it is going to be gone if you take it for granted and do not work for it,” Kuntz said. “Make sure you are staying on top of things and keep practicing and drilling everything.”

Evaluation of potential varsity athletes is not only dependent on talent and skill, but also external factors including perseverance and determination.

“Keep your head up,” Kuhne said. “Play hard and work hard because that is what coaches are looking for.”

While next year’s varsity athletes look forward to playing in front of their home crowd and bringing pride to the school, they are not just motivated by competition, but by passion for what they do.

“Do not let the little things get to you,” Sanders said. “It is not about the winning or losing, it is about playing the sport you love.”