Gursoy Is Two-Time Champ as Wrestling Team Wraps Up Season

Evin Gursoy ‘25 wins his second NYS championship in a row. Photo: @therealmidwoodhs

By JANAYA BRITTO, JEREMYAH KITT, and ALEXIA JARRETT

Janaya Britto is a manager of the Wrestling Team.

All the single leg takedowns have come to an end as the Midwood Wrestling Team reflects over the goals and challenges they’ve faced this year.

The team started their season off with a dominant 66-12 win against Erasmus Hall in the G-Gym on December 4.

Later that month, the boys participated in the Half Hollow Hills East Tournament on December 28, with Davlatoshi Umarkulov ‘25, a captain of the team, placing 4th, and Norodom Ung ‘26 placing 6th.

The team also participated in the Ironman Tournament on January 4, where Evin Gursoy ‘25 placed 1st, Marat Rasuli ‘26 placed 6th, Temurbek Mahkmudov ‘26 placed 4th, and Umarkulov placed 4th.

A 2024 PSAL MVP athlete, Gursoy won his second NYS championship in a row this year. Gursoy, who has been wrestling since second grade, won every match he wrestled in this season. He has committed to Columbia University, where he plans to continue with the sport.

Wrestling takes a lot of endurance, skill, and practice, and that ability doesn’t come overnight. Come competition, adrenaline is your best friend. You’re nervous before the game, but once you’re on the mat, perseverance takes over.

“The matches can be very intense and hard core, but the end goal of winning really inspires me, and the hard work makes it very rewarding,” said Furkan Duru ‘26.

Ung also agreed that wrestling has its ups and downs, “It takes a lot of energy,” he said. “I’m usually sore or feel fatigued, but every wrestler knows the sport can be demanding.”

Following an impressive 5-2 season last year, the team has been working hard to improve their skills further.

“I’ve always had this drive to be better than I was in the past, and it pushed me to do more. I didn’t just want to sit around and waste time,” said Duru.

“To stay motivated, I compare myself to my rivals, and it really works,” said Mahirul Kalam ‘27. “My older brother is my biggest inspiration because he's so good at wrestling, so I aspire to be like him.”

This season, the team faced challenging opponents, but with persistently positive morale, they managed to finish the season 3-5 with major wins against opposing teams.

After Midwood’s loss to FDR on December 11, 46-28, the team decided to reflect on some of their weaknesses.

“The most challenging part of wrestling is the mental pressure,” said Duru. “Your opponent wants the same thing as you and you just have to see who wants it more.”

One of the team’s captains, John-Anthony Gonzalez ‘25, helps the team get back on track after a loss by “looking out for the younger guys and to make sure to push them every single day.” Gonzalez said, “We try to teach them, help them, sort out any problems, push them to be better versions of themselves than they were yesterday.”

“I really commend the wrestling team because I know it’s not an easy sport,” said Principal Robert Quinlan. “Guys like Evin who are state champs really exemplify what a great performance is.”

Mr. Mark Tomasello, a coach, is proud of the team's resilience and ability to bounce back from losses. “Even after a tough match, I am impressed by their ability to keep their heads up and come back ready to work and get better,” he said.