For Austin Roskos, it truly was a case of happy holidays.
He forewent mid-meal treadmill runs in favor of dining with his family and enjoying his food, for once.
What led to this sudden freedom at the dining room table? It was pretty simple.
Last year, Roskos was wrestling at the 126-pound weight class for Hopewell Valley Central High School’s wrestling team. This season, the senior made the leap to 152 pounds, meaning he has to cut a lot less weight.
“He had to lose a lot of weight last year,” coach Mario Harpel said. “This is probably a better weight class for him. He’s a little stronger, eating a little more food. He came down from far away. He probably could have gone 38 or 45 last year.”
But Roskos wrestled at 126 because that’s where the Bulldogs had a void.
“It was pretty hard,” he said. “It was kind of to fit into a certain spot to help the team lineup, which is a good thing. But I think 52 is better for me from an individual wrestling standpoint. This year it’s not hurting the team if I go up, so it’s kind of the best of both worlds.”
It certainly appears that way, as Roskos had a 13-2 record through the Bulldogs’ first 11 matches. He won the 152-pound title at the Bear Classic in East Brunswick and also beat Delaware Valley’s Rhys Zigich while bumping up to 160.
Roskos hopes that is a forbearer of good things to come, as he has one more shot at gaining an elusive Mercer County Tournament title and a berth in the region tournament. To date, he has finished one spot from both honors.
Roskos’s career began in the Hopewell rec program at age 10, but he didn’t immediately embrace it.
“I didn’t like it that much,” Roskos said. “I lost a lot so it was tough. It was harder than any other sport I had done before. I played football and lacrosse when I was little, and this was so much harder.”
Roskos had some positive influences that helped him maintain interest. By the time he got to Timber Creek Middle School, he began going to clubs and putting in the work necessary to succeed. The sport became more enjoyable and he stuck with it.
Roskos went from 106, to 120, to 126 his first three years with Hopewell and amassed 61 wins during that time. He finished fourth in districts as a freshman and sophomore, and only the top three advance to regions.
“It hurts not getting through, I’ve always wanted to that and I’ve come up short,” he said. “My sophomore year I was seeded third. I probably should have made it through. I was kind of devastated when that didn’t happen. It’s something that’s always in the back of my mind this whole season, and I really hope I can make it through and I have to keep working hard.”
The same goes for the MCTs. Roskos was second as a sophomore and tumbled to fourth last season, although he was not 100 percent.
“I think because I was sucking a lot of weight I really didn’t do well,” he said. “I got pneumonia halfway through my junior year, and that kind of messed with me a little bit. It’s hard to breathe because of all the stuff in my lungs.”
Roskos should have no such issues this year. With HoVal set at the lower weights, he is able to wrestle where he is most comfortable and effective.
It allows Roskos to focus on things other than keeping his weight down.
“[He can focus on] being a leader on the team, feeling a little better about his weight, that kind of thing,” Harpel said. “He sacrificed for the team last year, and this year it’s just easier. It’s less things to worry about.”
Roskos agreed.
“I like it a lot better, I think it suits my style a little bit better to go to a middle weight,” he said. “It’s a better fit for me. I like to use my strength a little bit more and I like to wrestle from my feet more as well,” he continued. “I get to do more of that. There’s less mat wrestling involved so it’s better for me.”
One of Roskos’ best attributes is his ability to remain focused and not fall apart when things don’t work out in the midst of a bout.
“He’s a tough kid so he’ll compete through the general flow of a match real well,” Harpel said. “He’s really good in all positions, on his feet, on the bottom, on top. That makes him an effective wrestler.”
The coach added that Roskos has built on the ability he possessed when entering HVCHS.
“He had some talent as a freshman,” Harpel said. “He’s developed as a wrestler, how he’s going to compete, how he’s going to be a leader on the team and just do a lot of really good things for us.”
Roskos played high school football for the first time last fall and felt that helped him on the mat. It enabled him to move better, get quicker and become more athletic due to the extra running.
When he’s not competing in sports, he’s writing about them, and a variety of other things, as a member of the HVCHS newspaper.
“I do a little bit of sports writing, but I do whatever they need me to do,” said Roskos, who is still deciding whether he wants to wrestle at the Division III level in college. “I like literature and I like writing. Right now I’m doing it for fun, but we’ll see what happens.”
Whether he’s hammering out a story or hammering on an opponent, one thing is certain—Roskos is enjoying it a lot more on a full stomach.
Austin Roskos wrestles Notre Dame’s Liam Szentjobi during a home match on Jan. 13, 2016. Roskos pinned Szentjobi, and Hopewell won, 66-16. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.),
