Wrestling Bouts and Bubble Battles: Rumble in the Arena

        Varsity Wrestling Head Coach Johnny Clore H ’02 and the Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Wrestling Team hosted the annual Rumble in the Arena event in the Loucks Ice Center this past weekend. The event featured bouts from some of the Varsity wrestlers and brought the Lawrenceville community together with a bubble ball competition for House points. 2023 marks the ninth year of Rumble in the Arena, and Clore is hoping to continue running the event in the years to come. 

       Wrestler Jalen Gravesande ’25 enthusiastically expressed his excitement in seeing friends from the team showcase their wrestling skills for members of the school community. Gravesande is very passionate about the sport and appreciates that his fellow peers and classmates had the opportunity to learn more about wrestling through Rumble in the Arena. “I couldn’t wait to see my housemates in Cleve compete for house points in the Bumper Ball suits,” he said. 

        Fellow teammate Eshan Tibrewal ’25 commented, “As a new [III Former], I have only been able to participate in two Rumbles… fortunately for me, this year was even better than the last because Sophie Cheng ’25 News Associate of how tight-knit the team is and our combined efforts to host other students for a memorable time.” 

        Emily Lee ’26 also attended the Saturday night activity with high hopes. “Watching the wrestling team in their natural habitat was a surreal experience,” she remarked, “Being unfamiliar to the sport, I was shocked to see the intensity and energy…I think the crowd made the experience very hype and full of spirit as the turnout was great.” Alongside Lee was Sienna Soemitro ’26, who attended her first-ever Rumble this past Saturday. “It was truly an enjoyable experience to watch different students across all the Houses compete in such an energetic competition,” Soemitro said. Soemitro noted that Rumble was a “good mix of both fun and competitive spirit,” with Lee adding that the highlight of the event for them was when the wrestling team came on and “displayed their skills for everyone.” 

        Next year, students will get back on the wrestling mats and compete for the 10th year of Lawrenceville’s Turkey Term tradition: Rumble in the Arena.