Oswego East Student-Athlete of the Week-Noah Snow

It is not often freshmen are put in a position to be counted on for a program’s success. The transition to a new school, adapting to a more rigorous courseload, and learning a new socialization process is challenging enough. However, occasionally there are freshmen who step into high school prepared to meet the expectations of their older classmates, and Noah Snow has been one of them. As the 126-pound wrestler for the varsity team, Noah has demonstrated that not only can he be relied on to help score points for his team, but he also has the competitive drive and maturity to handle success, which is why he is this week’s Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Noah’s transition to high school athletics started over the summer first with football. It was clear early in the season Noah had a tenacity for the sport and a willingness to do whatever was necessary to help his team win. Head coach Anthony DiNardo says, “Noah was the ultimate team player. No matter what we asked of him, he would do it. He would consistently ask questions in an effort to improve his knowledge of the defensive scheme and would help his teammates who may have been unsure. He is a gamer who has the will to win and does whatever it takes for the team to achieve that.”

Football was Noah’s first love, a sport he started playing at age 5. One of his football coaches recommended wrestling to Noah, and he soon fell in love with the sport. “I found wrestling to be very challenging, and I learned quickly that I loved the feeling of having my hand raised equally as much as I hate the feeling of defeat,” says Noah.

Noah’s parents, Kevetta and Anthony Snow understand how those two emotions, and wrestling, have shaped Noah’s competitive drive. “Although football is his favorite sport, Noah has experienced the most adversity in wrestling,” says Kevetta and Anthony. They go on to say, “Wrestling has taught him how to win and lose. Wrestling has revealed to him the importance of hard work, determination, dedication, and resilience. One of his favorite quotes is, ‘the lesson you struggle with will repeat itself until you learn from it.’”

Making the high school team is an achievement for most freshmen, but for Noah, his work ethic and talent saw him promoted to the varsity this season. Head coach Paul Coy could not be happier with Noah’s maturity and progress this season, saying, “Noah’s strength is that he wrestles as if he does not know he is a freshman. He has the right attitude and puts a lot of effort into his practices. He has not turned down any type of competition, which shows the level of confidence he has in himself.”

Despite wrestling matches being a 1 on 1 engagement, wrestling is very much a team sport at the high school level. Each victory is worth a predetermined amount of points based on the type of victory (minor fall, major fall, technical fall, fall), and each match adds to the team total. While Noah is driven by the individual competition wrestling provides, he is always mindful and aware of being a good teammate, and despite being only a freshman, is already exhibiting leadership qualities. “Noah is becoming one of the main wrestlers inside the wrestling room,” says Coach Coy. He goes on to say, “He practices hard and is setting an example for the other freshman in the room.”

Noah’s individual record for the season is 9-5 in which he has scored 54 points for his team, has a bonus percentage of 89%, and a fall percentage of 78%. The experience alone Noah is getting this season will prove invaluable for his future success, and Noah has set his goals eye. “By the end of my time at Oswego East I want to be a state champion,” says Noah.

Having only been in high school for four months, Noah has goals of playing sports at the Division I level and says he hopes to, “choose a career that I can do not just for the money, but something I’m passionate about.”

Department chair and Noah’s Spanish 2 teacher, Kurt Gulbro, believe Noah has the qualities to succeed in any field he goes into, saying, “Noah is very respectful and works hard. He gets along with everyone in the class and has a good attitude and sense of humor. I think these characteristics, plus his maturity, will allow him to succeed in college.”

In only his first semester of high school, Noah has already accomplished a great deal. If Noah could give one piece of advice to future Wolves, based on what he has experienced over his first semester of high school, he would tell them to, “be willing to put in the work, whether it is academically or athletically, to achieve success and reach that next level.” Noah has demonstrated early in his athletic and academic career he is more than willing to give everything he has, and his coaches are excited to watch him continue to level up as an individual and leader over the next 3 years.