MOSES LAKE — Though team practices for wrestling season don’t begin until mid-November, the Moses Lake Mavericks have been putting in off-season work throughout the summer.

Last weekend was Moses Lake’s Chasing Gold Camp, a two-day camp for wrestlers to work on technique.

“We focus on technique,” head coach Jose Tanguma said. “Takedowns, finishing them to the mat and little things that we miss throughout the season. That’s why we like to bring in a clinician to help us out, especially Frank Almaguer — he’s a D1 athlete from California Baptist University, he’s shown us some great stuff.”

The Chasing Gold camp is typically held outdoors at Zamora Park where wrestlers camp out for the three-day camp, but was moved indoors to the wrestling mats at Moses Lake High School due to scheduling. Tanguma said next year’s camp will return to Zamora Park.

“We’ve been doing this for a while,” Tanguma said. “Usually it’s a three-day camp, but with time schedules we changed it to a two-day one here at the high school.”

Youth wrestlers of all ages worked for three sessions on Friday and two sessions on Saturday at the camp, allowing wrestlers to create chemistry before practices begin for the winter season.

“It’s team bonding and they get along with each other great,” Tanguma said. “What I like about it is they help each other out; it’s like a family here. They know that in order for us to be successful, we’ve got to help our teammates out.”

Getting to know one another helps with the on-mat product, sophomore Ian Anderson said.

“It helps team bonding,” Anderson said. “It especially helps to get to know them as you wrestle. At this camp at the breaks, we get to spend time together and actually learn about each other.”

The camp isn’t the only thing the Mavs have been doing since the season ended in February, as wrestlers have been present for open mat time three days a week throughout the summer. Tanguma said that wrestlers from other local high schools have also shown up to the open mat times.

“We like helping out the community, helping out schools around our area,” Tanguma said. “The Columbia Basin is a hot spot for wrestling.”

Some wrestlers have also been competing in summer tournaments outside of the Columbia Basin, like Anderson who competed at World of Wrestling Reno Worlds in April, placing sixth in the 15U 145-pound bracket.

“The first day I wrestled about four or five times, the third day I wrestled seven (matches),” Anderson said. “I lost my first match and then came back and placed sixth the third day.”

Anderson said competing in tournaments outside the area gives him a mental advantage.

“It helps me with the mental part, to see if I can actually push myself over the summer to get better for the winter,” Anderson said. “So then I can actually win tournaments and win matches at all these other places.”

With wrestling season still months away, Tanguma shared his excitement for the 2023-24 campaign.

“Moses Lake’s coming back on top again, and I’m excited for this season,” Tanguma said. “We have a strong freshman class coming in, the sophomores have been putting in a lot of work over the summer, going to big tournaments.”

Ian Bivona may be reached via email at [email protected].