At wrestling practice, sophomore Simon Ermolov enthusiastically spars against his teammates, practicing new takedown or submission moves and refining the old ones in preparation for the upcoming wrestling season. As Ermolov pours sweat over the thick red mats in the wrestling room, a smile never leaves his face.

During his freshman year, Ermolov placed third in MCAL for the 128-pound weight class, earning an honorable mention and a trip to NCS where he went 1-2.

This year, Ermolov will move up to the 145-pound weight class, where he aspires to place at NCS and travel to the state meet. Both his teammates and coaches believe he has a fair chance at achieving his goals.

“He works really hard,” said senior Brian Finci. “He has a great work ethic. He’s always working after practice. He works out too hard, in my opinion.”

According to his coach and peers, Ermolov has significantly improved since his previous season due to attending off-season training, tournaments, and camps.

“He has a lot of skills and drills that he learned over the summer,” head coach Alan Morris said. “He’s bringing them back into our room and showing the rest of the team.”

Ermolov’s father, Boris Ermolov, an assistant coach for the wrestling team, has a large influence on his son’s training.

“That’s why Simon is going to be so good— he has such a great mentor,” Finci said. “[Boris Ermolov] gives his guidance to us, and he gives a different perspective.”

Boris Ermolov has a background in Judo, a Japanese martial art, and has exposed his son, as well as the rest of the wrestling team, to alternative styles of wrestling throws and head locks.

“I always either go for a take down or a throw, like a double leg or a throw, and then try to pin them or just get the most points,” Simon Ermolov said.

Morris said that Ermolov excels as a wrestler due to his exceptional gymnastic abilities and willingness to adapt quickly.

“What’s he’s really good at is trying to apply stuff,” Morris said. “I’ll show ten different techniques and most people will maybe get two or three down, and Simon will be trying four or five.”

Despite still being an underclassman, Ermolov has already made a role for himself as a leader. Rather than being vocal, he leads by example and sets a tone of hard work and dedication.

“He’s got a lot of skills. He is ahead of his year because of the work he’s done,” Morris said. “He’s sort of like an upperclassman even though he’s a sophomore.”

Morris said that he hopes that Ermolov will continue to accelerate the development of his skills and techniques, as there is a steep learning curve to wrestling.

“What he provides is an example of someone that’s working really hard and aspires to get better,” Morris said.

Last year, the team came in third place in MCAL — moving themselves up the ladder from previous years where they were a middle of the pack team.

In wrestling, both an individual athlete and a team can earn an MCAL or NCS championship. If the wrestling team were to win the MCAL championship, it would be the first time since 1973.

Other than Ermolov, this season’s team consists of  a strong group of experienced middle weight wrestlers, with new wrestlers in lighter and heavier weight classes this year.

“Our middle weights have to provide a good example and do well, and we have to coach up the new guys,” Morris said. “The faster they learn, the better our team will be.”