LAURINBURG — The St. Andrews Knights wrestling programs have traveled all over the Southeast and Midwest since November, fighting the best NAIA wrestlers for victories.
As they come to the end of their four-month marathon, their biggest showcases are right around the corner.
The men’s Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) tournament will come first, with Coach Marquise Camp and his athletes heading down to Southeast University in Lakeland, Florida, on Saturday; the women, who compete in the Mid-South Conference, will compete on Feb. 23 in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Leading up to the events, Camp has drawn a figurative line in the sand to his athletes, letting them know they need to decide what type of competitor they want to be before they hit the mat.
“There’s two types of people that exist right now in the world of wrestling,” Camp said. “There’s people who are wanting to continue, and they find a way, and the people that are wanting the season to end. They also find a way. We have to decide which one we want to be and who we want to be. … But it’s the stuff you train for. We’re battle-tested.”
One St. Andrews women’s wrestler to keep an eye on is Gabby Holloway. She will enter the AAC tournament ranked sixth in the 170-pound weight class in the NAIA rankings. The senior from Washington, D.C., has a well-developed self-awareness when it comes to her wrestling style.
”I’m a really technical wrestler; I’m really slow,” Holloway said. “I have more of an MMA, ju-jitsu-style wrestling; even my stance is not a normal, traditional wrestling stance. But it works for me because they don’t expect that, and they don’t know how to handle it.”
Holloway will look to secure back-to-back national tournament appearances by performing up to her potential in Kentucky. Holloway said that even though wrestling is at face value a physical sport, the toughest battle for her is on another level.
“For me, wrestling is more mental than physical because I know if I’m in top physical shape, I don’t have to worry about that,” Holloway said. “Sometimes, I feel like I’m never there 100% mentally, as far as positive affirmations and stuff. … So that’s just my biggest thing, is keeping focused mentally and not letting my mind beat me before I win the match.”
Beyond delivering a top-notch performance, the All-American hopes a strong finish to her season will have a residual effect beyond her wrestling matches.
“I hope to get more women in the sport of wrestling,” said Holloway. “(I hope) to make St. Andrews more known for wrestling because, by that, we can get more males and females in the program … and if I do win, it could help bring back a winning culture to all sports.”
The NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championships will be held in the Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas, from Feb. 29 through March 2.
The NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Championships will be held in the Harold Newman Arena in Jamestown, North Dakota, March 8-9.
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