By Joshua Gallatin
Last season the Bergen Community College wrestling team ended with a losing record, but that didn’t seem to phase the athletes as they now prepare for future opportunities. The team had a few players represent the school to go to Council Bluffs, Iowa nearly a year ago. Now as the team got ready for the qualifiers, and ultimately this year’s trip out midwest to Iowa, I had a chance to speak to head coach Chris DiSanto and four players: Joshua Alvarez, Brian Vargas, Ty Pfeufer, and Sauzer Ayoub. Here is my conversation with the five of them at a practice just a short time before the national qualifiers.
Looking back on this season and how it transpired, how would you grade your roster this season?
DiSanto: I’d give it a B,
Why?
DiSanto: For Improvement.
You guys finished 3-10 this season. What lessons have you learned on and off the field?
Vargas: Try to compete, similar situation last year, and the record doesn’t matter. Anything can happen.
How do you guys each prepare for a match in practice and in warmups?
Alvarez: Pre Mentality.
Pfeufer: Stantz and being in motion.
Vargas: Listening to music.
Ayoub: Practice like you are in the match itself.
Brian, you were on the final national team that went on to represent Bergen Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Nationals are fast approaching, a few weeks from now. What advice would you give to anyone who was in the same boat you were in last year?
Vargas: Just be yourself. Let loose. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
From the answer to the last question, it seems clear that despite the poor record, the players I got to speak with had nothing but positive things to say about Coach DiSanto. I got the impression that the team embodied their coach. I was also told that injuries contributed to the losses piling up during the season. Vargas tells me that he indeed has plans to make another run to qualify for the national team once again, and that this is his last year at BCC. Council Bluffs, Iowa has the National Junior College Athletics Association Men’s Wrestling Championships March 7th through the 8th. Now we’ll soon get the answer to this very important question: Who will be representing Bergen Community College after the qualifiers? The team has a very unique bench with Vargas being the only one from last year’s team returning. We’ll find out soon enough.