The mat is meant for wrestling

CEDAR RAPIDS - The mat is a wrestler's court. It's their field, arena and gym.

Unlike team sports, wrestling is a personal battle against their opponent. There is no one there to help them win the match and, in the end, it is them against you.

The 2014-15 wrestling season has begun and Cedar Rapids Xavier's athletes have been working hard under the direction of head coach Ryan Chambers and assistant coach Kevin Murray.

Tommy Pudil, a sophomore in the 220-pound weight division, has simple goals this season.

'My ultimate goal for this season is to do better than I did last year,” he said. 'As long as I can do that, I will be happy.”

The varsity season consists of six meets and nine Saturday tournaments. The season runs from early November through the end of February, including Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

The varsity wrestlers held two-and-a-half hour practices over the Thanksgiving break, drilling, conditioning and wrestling hard.

'The hardest thing about wrestling is that you can't ever get away from it. You're always practicing, thinking about your weight and what you are eating,” said Kyle Mallie, a volunteer coach for the Saints.

A wrestler has to maintain their weight throughout the season in order to stay in their designated class. This is a concern because they can gain weight from working out and eating.

'Wrestling is the hardest sport, to stay in shape we have to do more conditioning and work harder than any other sport would,” Pudil said.

The Saints wrestle at the Mount Vernon Invitational on Saturday, then host the Doug Philipp Duals on Dec. 20 before Christmas break.