Last year's very low win total for the Jim Thorpe wrestling team was very misleading. In each match, they had four or five forfeits because they could not fill all the weight classes with wrestlers.

"We gave away 20 to 30 points in each match," said sixth-year head coach Shawn Albert. "If you just count head-to-head matches, we were .500 or better."This season, the Olympians should fill all the weights and improve the record of their team, which will feature several outstanding wrestlers.Returning for his senior year with 103 career wins at 106 pounds will be Kevan Gentile who won the districts and took fourth place in the state tournament last year. Gentile, is 38 victories shy of the school record held by Dylan Smith in 2010."Kevan begins this season ranked fifth in the country," said Albert. "This past summer he qualified for the Super 32 National Tournament in North Carolina. There were 132 wrestlers in his weight class. Kevan beat the 10th seed, then the number one seed and finished fourth. Obviously he has set his goal this year to be a state champion."According to Albert, Gentile is an "animal" on the mat and his strongest position is when he begins on top of his opponent.Gentile is one of eight seniors on the roster that has Albert calling this season a "payday" for his veteran team."I've been with these seniors since the seventh grade. They've put in their time and effort. Now it's time to cash it in."Another name that should excite fans of Jim Thorpe wrestling is the return of Antonio Madera at 160 pounds. Madera dislocated his shoulder during last year's Christmas tournament and missed most of his junior season."If Antonio can stay healthy, don't be surprised if he is top ranked and gets to the regionals."Albert says that Madera is great on his feet and has excellent takedown ability, which will score him a lot of points in each match.Senior Robbie Geisinger, like Madera, comes off the football field and onto the wrestling mat. He will wrestle at 170. Geisinger, who began his wrestling career in the township's knee-high program, should compete for a district title."Robbie has superior upper body technique; he's also great on his feet and will score points off takedowns."Two juniors are expected to win their share of matches. Cameron Condly, in his third season at 152, is described as a "workhorse with a great attitude," by Albert."He is the hardest worker on the mat that I have ever coached."Heavyweight Ryan O'Rourke finished with a personal .500 or better record for each of the past two years. Unlike some athletes who favor another sport, O'Rourke loves wrestling and he brings enthusiasm and positivity to his teammates.Robbie Geisinger's younger brother, Jarron, comes to the team with an already accomplished record. A year ago, he finished third in the district junior high tournament, prompting Albert to predict a great future for a "really tough kid.""We are in a good league," he said. "As a team, we should crack the top four, but we will be very good in tournaments where individual matches determine the winners."