Troy wrestling club invites students for another semester
The Troy wrestling club has one simple goal: to grow wrestling in the Wiregrass.
The club was founded in 2023 by Nicholas Gelsosomo. Gelsosomo, who currently serves as the head coach for the club, came to Troy after serving in the military and saw a hole he believed wrestling could fill.
“I wrestled for 20-plus years and saw Troy didn't have a wrestling team or a wrestling club, so I figured it would be cool,” Gelsosomo said. “The south region of the country is kind of slowly growing to wrestling, so I just wanted to help that and start a college club team.
The wrestling club currently practices in the Elm Street gym. Though the club may be small now, the members are a tight-knit group. They work with each other to improve their skills on the mat.
For some of the wrestlers, the club is not just about competition, but also it is a way to share a passion close to them with others.
"Since wrestling was a big thing for me, that's how I got through high school,” said Marcus Holder, the club’s vice president and secretary, who is a sophomore English major and creative design minor from Tampa, Florida.. “That was like my way of escape.
“I want to get more people who understand it the way I do, and I want to get them to understand it the way I do."
While wrestling is generally considered a midwestern sport, the Troy wrestling club is looking to show that wrestling has a spot in the South. The Troy wrestling club looks to compete later this year with other clubs across the country, including clubs of schools that are a part of the Southeastern Conference.
Vice President Myles Wilson, a freshman risk management major from Huntsville, Alabama, had one simple answer when asked what the team’s goals competed.
"To go kick butt honestly, that's the main point,” Wilson said. “We got Auburn, Alabama, some Florida and some Georgia teams that we're coming up against this season. Really, with wrestling, we're ready to go out there and lay it all out on the mat."
The wrestling club is open to students of all experience levels, backgrounds and majors. To learn more about Troy wrestling, or potentially join, contact the club on Instagram at @troytrojanswrestling or email wrestlingclub@troy.edu.
The wrestling club has not yet announced its matchup schedule for this upcoming season but currently have a practice schedule posted on its Instagram page.
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