What does someone do when pitted against a fellow Friar in competition? 

“The bracket had a chance for us to meet in the final, and once we got through our semi final matches, we knew we’d be facing each other, which was actually really cool,” Rogers said when asked about how it felt to be wrestling a teammate in the final.

Wehmeyer had similar feelings about the situation. “It was awesome because that’s typically unheard of to have two teammates in the final. Going against some of the top guys in the country in one of the best tournaments and finishing it with both of us, is something very cool to be a part of,” he said.

When asked about how this match would feel differently than an opponent from another school, Rogers said, “Jack and I wrestle everyday in practice, so there were no nerves and we just went out there and still wrestled hard.”

Wehmeyer, having won the match against Rogers, said, “Even though we’re teammates, Caden is a high caliber wrestler and extremely good, so it feels good to have this accomplishment.”

Every notable accomplishment usually has some adversity to pass through before success. In this case, Wehmeyer had to deal with some unfortunate circumstances that occurred in his quarterfinal match. 

“My nose broke during the match, and I wasn’t going to wrestle after that, but after some thought, I came back to help the team race for the tournament,” Wehmeyer said.

When asked about how his approach in the match might change due to Wehmeyer’s broken nose, jokingly Rogers said, “I wanted to go for his nose obviously.” 

In the end, Rogers and Wehmeyer will remember that unusual match for the rest of their lives, and can also live with the satisfaction of knowing that their contributions to the team helped lead Malvern to win the entire Powerade tournament.

“It was pretty awesome because after years of being very close to winning it all, it was a great feeling to finally win a big tournament like this one – and also Coach Nate wore a singlet to practice, which was very funny to see,” Rogers said 

Similarly, Wehmeyer said, “It was really awesome because coming back and helping contribute to Malvern in winning one of the toughest tournaments in Pennsylvania feels great, especially when you have to go the extra mile.”

As for Malvern Wrestling, it’s time for the next chapter in their incredible season. 

“Thanks to the whole team stepping up and wrestling hard, as well as great coaching, we had the success we wanted and now it is time to prepare for National Preps in May,” Rogers said.