Jackson-Reed boasts some of the most well-known and successful sports programs. Ranging from basketball to lacrosse, many of our teams have historically dominated their respective competitions. Yet, despite not being as well-known as other JR sports teams, the wrestling team’s rapid rise is something to be noted. 

Through the hard work of both the student-athletes and coaches alike, the wrestling program has become a force to be reckoned with in both DCIAA and DSCAA competition. In all, they’ve proved to be one of the most successful sports programs at JR.

Following an extremely successful 2023-24 season, the wrestling team was faced with the major challenge of rebuilding their team. Junior team captain Max Tatton reflected on the rebuild: “We lost a lot of good seniors last year, this season we [focused] on getting our numbers back up. We’ve got a lot of new people this year, a lot of new underclassmen.”

Although the team was not able to replicate the success of the previous season, with the Tigers placing second in the DCIAA and fourth in DSCAA competitions, there were many highlights throughout the season. Sophomore Nikita Andrew won first in DCIAA championships and second in states while junior Alex Ouzts placed second in states and won first in the DCIAA competition.

The future looks bright for the wrestling program, as new underclassmen join the team to continually train and refine their skills. The team is excited to get back to work and find new success. •