Story and Pictures by Jordan Carrillo
As the 2025-2026 Wrestling season has yet to start, the St. Clair Cyclones are eager to lock arms and grapple on the mat as a re-energized program welcomes 29 students on the mat. Despite being a relatively small team last year, the Cyclones were able to compete at a high level under new HC Pickell. Two wrestlers, Blake Sheppard and Chase Bade, qualified for State while the team advanced to the semifinals at Team Sections.
Participation won’t be an issue for this new season as 29 students, including four women, will don the red and black uniforms on the mat. This increase in numbers is a “good problem to have” according to Pickell, who has recruited several assistant coaches with pedigree to help push this program toward excellence. One of those assistants is Adam Felbin, who like Pickell, brings a championship pedigree to the mat with both State and National Titles under his belt. Ben Johnson, Damien Riewe, and Bryson Larrabee round out the assistant coaches.
The inclusion of four women on the roster is a rarity in this traditionally male-dominated sport, adding a new competitive dimension. The women are prepared to compete against other women but may also wrestle men depending on the circumstances. Their preparation was evident from day one, having put in significant off-season mat work—the kind of commitment that separates winners. Hailey Levos is a standout among this group, trading in a manager’s clipboard to step onto the mat and continue a family legacy; both her father and brothers wrestled for St. Clair. She acknowledged the mental and physical difficulty of the adjustment but is excited to wrestle, having already built a strong rapport with her teammates. She was also key in recruiting a few others, like Sophie Rollenhagen, to join the team. In addition to the new wrestlers, Avery Adams and Kaylee Berg, serve as the team’s Managers and are responsible for prepping the lineups, marking time and score during practices, and recording the matches.
The team is anchored by two influential seniors, Luke Vaughan and James Stenzel, who have been instrumental in setting a demanding, positive tone early in the season. Vaughan has been a consistent force during his career, boasting 100+ wins, providing invaluable experience for this team. Stenzel brings tremendous heart, grit, and determination on the mat, making him a difficult opponent to subdue for a pinfall. Sheppard brings a winning attitude as well with 100+ wins, two straight State appearances, and a little bit of a chip on his shoulder after suffering an 18-3 technical fall during his last match. Coach Pickell highlighted Lukas Hogen and Riley Vaughan for “stepping up” in the offseason and expects them to be some of the team’s strongest competitors.
Attending their November 19 practice, this session turned out to be a warmup of sorts in preparation for a “Black Flag” practice on the following day. Pickell described this as a more “intense and demanding” practice that tests the true conditioning of the athletes with the hardest worker receiving the flag as a symbol of commitment and endurance. Surprisingly, this gentle practice started light with a brief dodgeball match; it was a fun change of pace and the students welcomed this twist.
Following the warmup, the team broke out into small groups that focused on escaping several holds or takedowns. Vaughan and Steven Loffler attempted to “sweep the leg” as part of the single-leg takedown, and these two behemoths battled for supremacy on the mat. Nearby, Ty Romnes and R. Vaughan used their quickness to avoid the hold. A little further down the mat, Felbin and Johnson instructed the first years on a “high-crotch” takedown, a universal move during a match. A sparring match between Rollenhagen and a male counterpart brought some hesitation, but this was quickly overcome with targeted coaching, resulting in successful takedowns.
It remains to be seen how the Cyclones will fare on the mat for the 2025-2026 season, but this increased participation paired with experienced leadership, technical focus, and high-intensity training positions this team for significant overall improvement as they head toward their first meet on December 4.
