With the opening competitions of the season rapidly looming, wrestling has stepped up the tempo of its practices, looking to put on a strong showing this season.

Though the season officially began November 4, the team had been holding pre-season conditioning for upwards of a month. These practices, which were held Monday through Thursday, consisted primarily of conditioning workouts designed to get both returning and new wrestlers into the physical condition necessary for the sport.

“We start with one mile warm up runs,” junior Carter Lee said. “Then we go into planters, bleachers, sprints, and the weight room.”

The preseason workouts have also been designed to instill a lesson larger than the importance of being in shape: that it pays to be a winner.

“We have to race each other,” junior Brian Wang said. “The loser has to do pushups.”

The conditioning workouts the team has endured have paid dividends, setting the Eagles physically apart from the competition.

“We’re very well conditioned as a team,” Carter said. “Last year at CCS practice [at which CCS qualifiers from multiple teams practice together], the guys from Lynbrook and Homestead couldn’t keep up with Coach Randy’s workouts. But it was normal for us.”

The team’s rigorous workouts have been carried out with the intent of reversing their rough rough 2012-2013 season, in which they dropped all of their league matches in the De Anza League. The team has since dropped to the El Camino League and will be facing schools by the likes of Lynbrook and Santa Clara. The loss of senior Paul Hernandez, arguably the team’s MVP, to a severe and persistent shoulder injury also dampened the team’s chance of success at leagues and CCS.

But with a robust coaching staff the team is undeterred regardless of the previous season’s outcome.

As a whole however, the team is directed by Coach Randy Jimenez, who oversees everything. However, Jimenez is most known for his gruelling conditioning workouts.

“The season looks promising,” James said. “But we need to step up the intensity.”

With the Falcon Invitational, the team’s first tournament, scheduled for December 7th, the team is looking to put their wrestling skill and conditioning to good use.