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At a place where basketball reigns supreme, it can be easy to overlook another growing and developing sport at George Rogers Clark High School.

The GRC wrestling team, now in its third year and first under current head coach Chad Grant, has seen growth and results.

Two of its members – seniors McCaden Skeens and Quentin Falls – were present with Grant at the Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 10th.

While Skeens, who has been with the program since its inception when he was a high school sophomore, is from the Winchester area, Falls is a transfer after going to school in Indiana last season.

With Skeens planning to wrestle at the NCAA level and Falls’ prior experience being an asset, both complement the program nicely.

“Both McCaden and Quentin have been great wrestling partners. They’ve both made each other better,” Grant said. “It’s kind of amazing how that works in that sport.”

Yet, regarding the wrestling team’s actions last Wednesday, an appearance at the Rotary Club was far from all.

Various members of both the girls’ and boys’ wrestling teams traveled to Montgomery County High School, where they squared off in a meet against both Indians’ squads as well as athletes from Paul G. Blazer High School in Ashland.

Aanyah Betancur, who placed fifth in the state in her class last season, completed her match with relative ease.

“I had worked on some stuff in the past couple days. I just wanted to try it out and see how it worked for me,” Betancur said. “We’re just trying to work on really…getting better. We’re trying to get more points and pins and focus on technique.”

While not competing, she encouraged teammates – including sophomore Bailey Fletcher and 7th grader Danica Patrick – from just outside the mat.

“Sometimes, we all get in our heads, and I’m just there to get them out of their heads and remind them of what they do know,” Betancur said. “They are good at these things.”

Not only did Betancur finish victorious, but other female and male competitors – including freshman Jose Muse and sophomore Adam Johns – also took home wins.

As they were doing so, Grant and fellow assistants could be heard guiding wrestlers, offering numerous advice such as staying low to the ground, getting into a strong position, or circling away from the opponent’s leg.

The latter technique can help a wrestler get at the opponent’s trail leg, offering an advantage.

Thus far, the efforts of GRC wrestling have included seeing members finishing strong in competitions such as the renowned Connor Invitational, where Skeens earned second place, and seeing multiple female wrestlers – including McKenzi Bush – make victories in places that include Mason County.

The Winchester Youth Wrestling Club has also yielded positive results.

With time left in the season, it’s safe to assume that the team will continue to impress.