From Feb. 29 to March 2, members of the Parkdale wrestling team participated in the Maryland State Wrestling Tournament, which concluded the season for the team. The tournament, held at the Show Palace Arena in Upper Marlboro, brought together the top wrestlers from across the state to compete for individual and team honors. We sat down with three of those wrestlers to ask them some questions about the season, their experiences at the tournament, and their plans for the future. These athletes have dedicated countless hours to training, conditioning, and perfecting their skills, and their journey to the state tournament represents all of their hard work and dedication throughout the season.
Carlos Dinarte, junior
Q: Do you feel that this was the right ending to the season?
A: We as a team didn’t get where we wanted to be, we won the games that we were supposed to, but against the big schools like Roose and Wise I felt we could of done better, but me personally, I got better and next year I will be looking to make the leap to states
Q: Were you surprised at all with the progress you made this year?
A: Definitely, I was surprised a lot as I felt a lot stronger than a lot of the guys I faced and my iq improved.
Q: What was your most memorable match/moment?
A: Me going to 4th place in the Patriot Classic, as that’s where I really realized my growth all around and how hard I worked to get where I wanted to be
Q: What changes can you guys make to get to that next level?
A: Me personally, I would have worked a lot harder than I did, but wrestling takes quite a toll on your body and it got to the point where I didn’t want to injure myself to the point where I wouldn’t be able to play those other sports that I enjoy like Football and Lacrosse. For the team, we can improve on our IQ, because in wrestling IQ is very important, and because of that I felt that they didn’t really know how much work it really takes to get to the top. But I can’t wait to see how much work they put in during the offseason to get to that next level and be great and I also can’t wait to see how the girls progress over the years.
Q: What can we expect from you next season?
A: For me, you could expect improvement, especially in the rankings, you can expect me to have another winning season, and making it to states for sure, as I was very close to making it to states, but we can’t cry over spilled milk and you will definitely see me there next year.
Na’Leyah Hodges, freshman
Q: What did you learn from wrestling?
A: What I learned from wrestling was how to be aggressive and self defense
Q: What was your most memorable moment/favorite match?
A: My favorite match was when we wrestled Northwestern because that was when I pinned my first boy.
Q: What improvements can we see you make for next year?
A: Some improvements y’all will see next year is being quicker and I will improve stand-ups and learn more moves.
Q: What can we expect to see from y’all as a team next year?
A: What y’all will expect for one, I’m really hoping that there will be more girls on the team but as a team I think everyone will commit to this sport.
Edress Faiz, senior
Q: Are you satisfied with how you did this year with it being your senior year?
A: No, I wasn’t satisfied at all I could have done better this year.
Q: What areas do you believe that you improved in from last season to this year?
A: I think I mostly improved in my moves and how to use them more smartly in certain situations.
Q: What was your favorite match/moment of the season?
A: It had to be when I went against Bethesda Chevy Chase High School.
Q: How do you think that you performed in the final tournament of the season?
A: I think I did pretty bad because I didn’t perform how I wanted to perform. I could have done way better.
