“We’d go to these places and the coaches and parents are like ‘how long has he wrestled?'” shared Shannon Hartman, who served as “team mom” while her husband coached. She added that they were often in awe when she responded “about six months.”
The team opened up with the Kiwanis tournament in Keyser, immediately facing wrestlers from University High School, one of the most dominant big school programs in the state.
In her estimate of how the team performed, Propst said “They did well. I’m really impressed with them.”
She praised the coaching staff, calling them “incredible.” Jasper Hartman served as head coach, aided by James Woods, P. J. Combs, and Jed Hartman. “All of the coaches had their roles,” said Propst.
Propst also explained that Shannon Hartman “was the backbone of that team this year,” helping to arrange rides, making sure they had food, drinks, and anything else needed.
Every successful team requires senior leadership. Propst explained that Gabe Harvey, who wrestled in the 165-weight class, was “tough and took a leading role and did well,” including scoring a pin against Frankfort in January.
“If he had another year, he’d go far,” said Propst of Harvey. She added that “he wants to get his coaching certification and come back to try and help a little bit.”
The future looks bright indeed. In the relatively new category of girls’ wrestling, Taylor Rexrode placed second in the state as a seventh grader.
With so much left to fall into place prior to the start of the season, the program had to, in many ways, “wing it.” For example, the team had few matches scheduled at the start of the year. As they progressed through the season, they received invitations to compete in different areas and also held a match at home.
Since the program was in its inaugural season, Propst stated that many tournament organizers “were so kind. They waived fees since we were just starting the program.”
Propst also called a collaborative relationship with Grant County Schools “a real asset” for loaning Pendleton County mats. “They helped in any way they could,” she explained.
Expansion of the athletic programs’ numbers remains a priority for Propst. She said, “My goal is to get as many kids as possible into something” so they are “not doing drugs and alcohol.”
