The Washington and Lee men’s wrestling team has found success in the Centennial Conference this season, winning two of their three dual meets thus far.

Assistant Wrestling Coach Alex Radsky attributes hard work and committing to the program to the team’s success this season.

“We just look to improve every workout and every day,” Radsky said. “The whole team buys into that philosophy and, as a result, we stay focused on our training. Our results are just a by-product of the work that the team has been putting in throughout the year.”

On Friday, the team competed against Southern Virginia University, defeating the Knights 38-9.

Brandon Lefore, ’18, won his 20th match of the season 16-1 in the 175-pound weight class. Another big win came from Ethan Hartman, ’19, who claimed an exciting 8-7 victory in the 125-pound weight class.

Bryce Crew, ’21, and Shane Conners, ’20, claimed victories in the 149-pound and 157-pound weight classes. Both Crew and Conners pinned their opponent to win their match.

Lefore said having a healthy, complete team has helped lead the team to a successful season thus far.

“Our greatest strength this year has been having a complete lineup,” Lefore said. “At each weight class, we are able to send out a wrestler we know can compete and match up against their opponent. Having a full and healthy squad is making a big difference for us.”

Going into the meet, Radsky felt confident, noting the team wanted to “put forth a good performance for all the W&L fans who can finally get to see us compete.”

The Generals have not competed at home while students were on campus since Nov, 4.

During the previous weekend, the Generals competed in a dual meet against Muhlenberg and Ursinus, winning both meets 27-12 and 22-20, respectively. These wins brought the Generals to a record of 2-1 in the Centennial Conference.

This meet was the first time since the 2006-07 season that Washington and Lee has defeated Ursinus.

Against Ursinus, the victory came down to a win in the 285-pound match, where Matt Kaminer, ’18, defeated William McGinley 3-1 in overtime.

The team hopes to win the Centennial Conference tournament, which happens on Feb. 10, and the NCAA Regional tournament. They also have the goal of sending the team to the national tournament. Additionally, the team hopes to rank first nationally in the academic rankings, which is decided by team GPA.

“Each member of the team has been committed to staying disciplined and working hard to achieve our goals,” Lefore said.

Patrick Hofstedt, ’21, has also been impressed by the team’s dedication and success to the sport.

“Guys are willing to come in and get extra workouts with any other member of the team, and everyone has some techniques or advice to contribute to everyone else,” he said. “When things don’t go our way, we regroup and figure out how to fix the problem as opposed to fighting about it or lashing out.”

The Generals will next wrestle against Merchant Marine Academy on Feb. 3.