Beyond the mat: Wrestlers give insight on their routine

Jaron Leung and Yardenne Sternheim

May 28, 2025

FACE-OFF — Palo Alto High School sophomore Brian Miller (Left) squares up against junior James Otuhiva (Right). Both are members of the Paly varsity wrestling team. “The time when you’re not competing is the hardest because you’re doing a lot of time and effort into building yourself up and breaking yourself down to get better without a lot of results to show for it,” Miller said.

Yardenne Sternheim

Under the bright lights of the gym at Independence High School during the Central Coast Section wrestling tournament, with a packed crowd in the stands, Palo Alto High School wrestler Brian Miller performs his pre-mat ritual.

“I’ll step out to the line, do two hamstring stretches, and then jump up and bounce a couple times,” Miller said.

Miller meets his opponent in the middle of the wrestling mat. They shake hands, the referee blows the whistle, and the match begins. What is accomplished on the mat in the next six minutes is often what is taken at value. Many don’t account for the athlete’s countless hours of training, dieting and maintenance of their responsibilities to achieve their goals.

This past 2025 wrestling season, many members of the Paly wrestling team achieved significant success competitively. Brian Miller placed third in CCS, ranking #28 in the state at 132 pounds, James Otuhiva came in sixth in CCS at 144 pounds, Ella Cohen ranked first in both CCS and in California at 105 pounds, and Atticus Ayres came in sixth in CCS at 132 pounds.

Verde asked Paly wrestlers Brian Miller, Hudson Press, James Otuhiva and Ella Cohen how they train to stay in peak condition during the busy season.

Brian Miller, junior

What keeps you going and motivated?

I think it’s a mindset thing that starts before you even walk into the room or walk into where you’re going to compete. It’s having that thing in the back of your head, no matter how hard I train or how hard something gets, it’s all for a reason.

How do you balance your responsibilities?

You’d think that in-season your grades would get worse because you’re spending so much time away from school work, but I find that in season my grades are actually at their best because I’m so focused on just school and wrestling.

Hudson Press, sophomore

What keeps you going and motivated?

It definitely motivates me to see what the other people on the team are doing, like upperclassmen and freshman Ella [Cohen], … like qualifying for state. It makes me want to be like them. They’ll stay 10 minutes [after practice], and watching them push harder inspires me to push harder and to give it my all.

What is it like being on the girls team?

I think there’s just a lot of stigma and negative assumptions about the sport, especially with women in it. I do a lot of working with the guys in the wrestling room, and I don’t mind it. If anything, I think it pushes me harder just because of the difference. But I wish there was just more representation coming out of the [Silicon] Valley.

James Otuhiva, junior

How do you review your performance?

I’ll usually look over at my dad because he also coaches me, and I can tell if he’s upset with a performance. And when we get home, we always just review each match, go over some stuff that I did well or could do better.

What is most challenging in training?

Physically, it [wrestling] is definitely tiring. During training there are definitely moments where I do get tired, but there’s also a learning aspect.

Ella Cohen, freshman

How do you wind down after competition?

After a day of training or competition, I like to wind down by just taking care of my body in any way I might need to, and just getting good sleep always.

What keeps you going and motivated?

Winning keeps me motivated, but I don’t need motivation to work hard.