Both the boys and girls wrestling season is underway as the boys defeated Riverside-Brookfield High School in their first match of the season on Nov. 22. Prior to last season, boys head coach Griff Powell was leading both boys and girls practices before former assistant coach for the freshman wrestling team, Darwin Depina, became the girls’ head coach.
“A coach dedicated to the girls allows the practices to be much more intense and competitive,” Sofia Turek ‘26 said. “Coach [Depina] knows how important wrestling is to us and I can see the passion he has for wrestling everyday in practice.”
Turek previously was a jiu jitsu participant prior to joining the wrestling team her freshman year. “My brother wrestled and it looked like something that would entertain me,” Turek said. “It’s a great way to meet new people and have fun.”
Boys head coach Powell has been the program’s leader since 2005, when he took over the head coaching role.
As a program the goal is to develop everyone’s skill set regardless of prior experience, while also showcasing the sport as a whole, Powell said.
Powell wrestled at the University of Illinois where he was a Division 1 All-American in 2002. He was also a two-time high school state champion during his four years at Suffern High School in New York.
“We are definitely looking to compete for the conference title this year,” Gunnar Garelli ‘24 said. “Personally, my number one goal is to win a state championship, which has been my number one goal ever since I started wrestling when I was 3 years old. I’m also looking forward to joining the 100 win club, and getting ready for college wrestling.”
Garelli is the first all-state wrestler LT has had since 2017, with an overall record of 55-19. He placed fourth in the 2023 State Championships and is ranked second among class 3A wrestlers in Illinois. Garelli announced his commitment to further his academic and athletic career at Virginia Tech University on Nov. 27, just three days after winning first place in the Barrington invite on Nov. 24.
“Although this won’t be the end of my wrestling career as a whole, this season means more to me than previous ones,” Garelli said. “Last year was a lot of fun but I hope to leave LT satisfied with what I have accomplished through my four years with this program.”
Both the boys and girls will compete next at Wheaton-Warrenville South in their invite on Dec. 28.