by Jason Sirovina | Sports Writer

State competitions are approaching for both the Jaguar swimming and wrestling teams. These highly coveted tournaments are the focal point of the season and are what they use to judge their season. The Jags look to keep up this success starting on Feb 14 for wrestling and the Feb 21 for swim and dive.

“Our team going to regionals and state is going to set a legacy for because we were the first to medal at state and more people will want to keep that up,” senior Raquel Grays said.

However, the stress of competing in the tournaments can be immense for these high school athletes so coping with it is a crucial to their success.

“We just need to let go and try not to think about the pressure in order to get ourselves in the right mindset for our competitions,” Grays said.

In order to cope with the stress the Jags rely on support from many different outlets such as their families, peers , and coaches. These people are crucial to not only the Jags but all athletes that compete.

“My parents, coaches, and teammates give me the support I need and what motivates me is trying to improve off of what I did years past because I’m confident in myself,” Grays said.

All of the hard work throughout the season is displayed on the mat and in the pool. This also is a great way to for the competitors to get recognition and benefit their careers.

“The state competitions give me the opportunity to show what I have accomplished and reflects the hard work my coaches have instilled in me,” junior Ashley McCutcheon said.

The state competitions provide a great source of personal improvement and  the opportunity to achieve goals. However that is not the only benefit the Jags can receive from competing as this can also benefit the team as a whole.

“State is what I need to get better and allows me to be a teacher for my teammates,” McCutcheon said. “It will also help my future because if I perform at a high level it could lead to a college scholarship,”.