In order to meet their desired weight class, wrestlers must take action and take necessary measures to lose weight. This holds true for wrestlers at MHS, who have taken necessary measures to lose the pounds.

And while MSHSAA has established limits on weight loss for wrestlers, some have even been hospitalized because of their efforts.

“I had to go to the ER because I was dehydrated from trying to drop weight,” Shawn Salazar, freshman, said.

Salazar said he was aiming to get to the 112 pound weight class from his current weight at the time, 117, but ended up getting dehydrated and had to be put on an IV. Salazar said he was in the hospital for two or three hours.

To drop weight, he ran a lot, drank a lot of water and didn’t eat much.

“My parents didn’t think it was healthy, so I dropped and just stopped going to the practices,” Salazar said. He said he still plans to wrestle next year.

At the beginning of the year, the coaches run the players through a test over their hydration, weight and body fat percentage to determine where it would be efficient for the wrestler to wrestle, both for the health and competition aspects. During the year, they sometimes change weight classes, whether it is going up or down. “We use the National Wrestling Association computer program to find out what the best weight would be for the wrestlers,” George Hovis, varsity wrestling coach, said.

The MSHSAA regulation dictates a maximum weight loss of 1.5 percent of body weight per week, in order to try to prevent health issues.

Recardo Gordon, senior varsity wrestler, previously 315 pounds, said he dropped 35 pounds to get to the 285 weight class.

“It didn’t take that long but a month and a half. The things I had to do is really look at what I eat and see what’s good for me and what’s not and change how my eating sizes were when I eat that night,” Gordon said. Hovis said Gordon’s blood pressure and body fat percentage both decreased.

“We get to choose, and we go to the coaches to get their input, but we pretty much pick our own weight class,” Matt Mosior, senior and varsity wrestler, said.

Mosior said he drops five to six pounds a week and that he has a set plan to drop weight before each meet.

“Four to five days before I start to eat healthier and taper down my food intake, and if I have to I put in some extra running the day of to make weight, but usually I’m a pound over or at weight,” Mosior said.

Mosior placed second at the weight of 160 in the Capitol City Invitational in Jefferson City on Friday, Jan. 14 and at The De Smet Tournament on Wednesday, Dec. 29, as well as placing fourth at the Bethalto Tournament at 171.

Ryan Tulley, senior varsity wrestler, said he takes a cautious, healthy approach to dropping weight.

“I drop anywhere from five to 10 pounds every week by eating healthy and balanced meals and exercising at least three times a day,” Tulley said.

Tulley said that instead of large meals he eats small meals and snacks throughout the day. Tulley wrestles at 171, where he got fifth in the Bethalto Tournament on December 4 and second at the All-Suburban Tournament from Jan. 7 through Jan. 8.

Dr. Kevin King, physician at St. John’s in Kirkwood, said dropping weight for wrestling is generally unhealthy. Dr. King said that while long term effects, such as chronic kidney failure, are serious, he wants to stress the seriousness of short term effects.

“Short term drop can be dangerous,” Dr. King said. “So pay attention to the short term effects.”