The wrestling season is over, and despite the loss of Ramin Abraham, Dylan Kull and Rafael Salinas, it was a good season for the
Kits.

Evanston had seven Sectional qualifiers in Charlie Fox, Valery Jean-Jacques, AJ Joyner, Nathan Mann, Max Morton, Ricardo Salinas and Nathan Straus. Juniors Ricardo Salinas (170 lbs.) and Valery Jean-Jacques (285 lbs.) both won their respective weight brackets. Ricardo made it down state, finishing 4th place in the Class 3A 170 lbs bracket, capping off his junior season with a staggering 50-5 record.

“The season went well. We have a lot to work on as a team, but there’s a bright future for the team,” Ricardo Salinas said. “We have pretty much everyone coming back, and if everyone commits to putting in the work in the off-season, we can be a very good team next year.”

While Salinas is excited for the future, the team will lose some key pieces. Four seniors finished their last season with the team.

Senior Max Morton, who’s wrestled all four years of high school, has many fond memories from his experience as a Wildkit wrestler.

“Wrestling is my best memory of high school. I’ve worked so hard and put so much into it, and I have really learned a lot from it over these four years,” Morton said.

Coach Rodolfo Salinas was a continuous support to Morton throughout his wrestling career, especially in regards to his injuries.

“Coach Salinas has been everything for me these past four years. He’s helped me get through all of the frustration of the injuries,” Morton explained. “I wouldn’t have been able to wrestle and finish the season without his guidance,”

The Kits are already looking forward to next season, as their juniors, Fox, Jean-Jacques, Mann, Ricardo Salinas and Nathan Straus will all be returning to the mat next season.