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01/30/2024 12:40 AMQuite often in all facets of life, passion can drive progress when it comes to mastery of a particular craft or hobby. For Jace Iamunno, his love to lace up his grappling boots led him back to the mat in making a sound and steady impact for the burgeoning North Haven wrestling program.
The Nighthawks junior first started with wrestling at a young age for a few years before giving up the sport to pursue football. After spending time on the gridiron through his freshman year, Jace decided to get back to his first love and join the newly-formed Nighthawks’ wrestling program last winter. This season, he has emerged with a winning record, with an impressive mark of 24-6 thus far while competing in the 150-pound weight class. This is after taking 15 total triumphs a year ago.
“I love how wrestling is an individual sport, and you can really show what you can do out there. You can also develop yourself, rather than relying on others in competition,” says Jace. “I went to a couple of off-season wrestling clubs in the offseason with friends. We wrestled a lot of guys from other towns, and I think it really helped me a lot to be ready for this season. I am happy about my record so far, and I had a win against a tough Guilford team, which was great. I am hoping to achieve something good at states this year.”
From the naked eye of a casual observer, one may incorrectly assume that body strength rules the way. Yet Jace counters that by noting that, while physical mass may play a pivotal role in outcomes, one must strengthen their stamina to survive and thrive.
“You are trying to throw people around, so it is about gaining and maintaining muscle,” Jace says. “Endurance is also a big part of it, and I think that is the toughest part of it. You are going through six-minute matches, and it is an endurance unlike any other sport.”
Mulling over the mental component of what makes a well-rounded competitor, Jace explains that defeat is unavoidable and inevitable. Still, the true mark of a champion comes from those setbacks, and taking them with a great deal of acceptance and holding them as tokens to learn.
“It is a super tough sport because you lose so often,” says Jace. “The tough part can be coping with losing. It gets easier over time, but you are never fully OK with losing. It really hurts, but I tell myself that everyone loses, and I just work harder on what failed me in that match.”
The cerebral fitness and composure of Jace is certainly not lost on Peter Tseperkas, North Haven wrestling’s head coach. He maintains that it has been probably the source behind his rapid rise on the mat this campaign, while being a very grounded and open individual away from it.
“Jace has been an unbelievable asset to this team since Day 1. He is probably the most technical wrestler on the team, and leads with a quiet and reserved approach,” says Tseperkas. “I would say the difference for Jace this year versus last year is the poise he has on the mat. Last year, Jace finished the season with 15 wins in our team's very first year of existence and was a match away from placing in the state tournament. He is always calm and confident when he steps on the mat, and that has translated into an excellent record this year. One other word that the coaches and I would use for Jace is that he is very humble. He is open to all advice, congratulations, and constructive criticism, and is always thankful for it.”
In such a short time as a full entity and program, Jace and the Nighthawks have gained a great affinity for the sport. No matter their background prior to the season, or their intention for being there, each and every member of the roster appreciates the grind and companionship.
“Everybody here loves the sport, both the physical and mental parts of it,” says Jace. “A majority of the guys are football players who love to use wrestling as a tool to stay in shape for football. Everybody just loves the matches, the tournaments, and the travel.”
Tseperkas adds that Jace is an elusive wrestler when it comes to evading pinning predicaments while making in-match adjustments.
“Jace is also one of the most athletic wrestlers I have ever coached; he is so flexible and can get out of many situations by this fact,” says Tseperkas. “He is also capable of scoring points quickly and capitalizing on any mistake that his opponent makes. Jace has already opened up many eyes in the wrestling community, and I am confident that he is going to do great things this postseason.”
Jace’s tenacity will never take a tumble when it comes to the mat, no matter what the future brings. He conveys the lesson that one should be unrelenting when it comes to moving towards mastery of your passion project.
“The greatest thing I have learned is to keep pursuing what you like,” Jace says. “And that is why I try so hard with wrestling. I am not going to stop with it or with how hard I try. I would like to be as good at it as I can be since I enjoy it so much.”