With winter sports coming into session, the Lane Tech Wrestling team is well-prepped and focused on a successful 2016-17 season.

Unlike previous seasons, last year, the wrestling team lacked senior leadership.

“There were no seniors last year,” said senior captain Kaiden Friedrich, Div. 752. “This year the team is composed of all returners.”

Since the first day of offseason, the experienced wrestling team has been locked in.

“The wrestling team trains at least five days a week all year round,” Friedrich said. “We also wrestle at Depaul’s facilities in the preseason and offseason as well.”

Friedrich said that these habits are necessary if they want to improve on previous year’s ’ success.

Nutrition is a key component for a wrestler. Friedrich uses his offseason to gain strength, “eating more than normal, but eating healthy.”

During the season, Friedrich has cut his weight by about 20 pounds. In order to do so Friedrich said he must abide by a “very strict diet.”

“A basic rundown would be no complex carbs, 45 percent vegetables, 25 percent fruits, and 30 percent proteins,” he said. Friedrich was a three-time city finalist, two-time city champion in 126 weight class, and two-year captain.

Senior wrestler Jeremiah Olojo, Div. 759, also adds to a list of accomplishments, winning the Glenbrook South Wrestling Tournament on December 16, 2015. He also finished third in city for the heavyweight class and qualified for sectionals during his junior year.

During Olojo’s first year of wrestling he was not very successful, losing a majority of his matches.

“I hated wrestling,” said Olojo.

Going into junior year, Olojo used the offseason to “get in better shape and improve my technique.”  Olojo says that moves like the “double blast and snapdown” are moves that he worked on over the offseason.

“I realized that I could be better than I was,” Olojo said. “Honestly since I’ve started to win, my experience with wrestling took a 360 degree turn and I love it now.”

Although Lane’s wrestling team has a few outstanding individual performers, they remain humble and hungry for more success.

“All I care about is going out and wrestling well,” Friedrich said. He does not focus on player rankings or forums. He looks forward to “competing at a high level” every match.

The senior leadership that the team lacked last year is very apparent this year.

“As a senior my role is to lead by example and show the underclassmen that the only way to be prosperous is through hard work”, said senior Jon Starr, Div. 761. “Hard work means showing up to practice on time, getting stronger, and not becoming complacent.”

Replicating the performances from last year is probable, while Olojo said, improving on the impressive year they had last year “will be challenging.”

Olojo and Friedrich both have similar goals for the upcoming season.

“I look forward to winning city and competing in state,” Olojo said. Friedrich also looks forward to winning city and added, “I look forward to tough matches against good kids who are ranked high in state.”