Hewlett Wrestling Looks Ahead After Seniors Graduate

Jordan Browdy, a graduating senior from Hewlett High School and former Bulldog wrestler, has witnessed an accomplishment that many in his sport do not have the opportunity to see.

Hewlett started a new wrestling program in 2007 under seniors such as Browdy and head coach Mike Jiminez. With rising interest in the sport around the community, Hewlett is slowly becoming a perennial team in Nassau County, an area thick with elite competition.

“Being part of a program that was brand new was very tough. We were going against guys that have been in it for a while,” Browdy said. “Once I saw the benefits and how we progressed as a team and how we helped get to start everything is a very rewarding experience.”

During Hewlett’s in June, Browdy was honored with two awards for his high accomplishments with the wrestling program. He was also awarded All Conference honors along with fellow graduating seniors Mike Piri, Simon Turkin and Matt Appelbaum.

Appelbaum is another graduating senior who experienced the roots of Hewlett wrestling just a few short years ago.

“We helped start this program from the ground up and it is just a really good thing to be starting something like this,” Appelbaum said. “Every year since then, we were getting better and got more kids to join. We now all have a great relationship with each other.”

Appelbaum, Piri and other members of the teams' first ever graduating class of wrestlers look forward to continue giving to a program that they played such a large role in.

“It was a good experience to be part of it even though it was rough at first,” Piri said. “It is really fun to compete against teams now that have been around a lot longer than us. I would love to give back to younger kids after I graduate especially since I didn’t have any seniors to look up to.”

Jiminez, a former wrestler from Long Beach High School, has been with the team since the beginning and has witnessed first hand the growth and support for Bulldog wrestling. Backed by school administrators and a that has raised over $125,000 since the start of the program, Hewlett has a bright future ahead.

“Four years ago, we were down at the bottom and there is only one way you can go from there,” Jiminez said. “Every year we got more and more guys and I am really proud of them, especially the seniors, to stick with it for all four years. It is pretty exciting to be able to build a tradition here for them to carry on.”

In year one with Browdy and company, Hewlett struggled to field a complete team, not winning a single match for the duration of the season. The next two years saw the team winning one and four matches, respectively. It wasn’t until this past season that Hewlett broke through for the first time.

Despite not winning a league match against more experienced programs in 2010-11, Hewlett finished with an impressive 16-9 overall record and a runner-up finish at the Nassau Invitational Tournament in January after a tough loss to top-seeded Uniondale in the finals.

“That second place at the dual meet tournament was a big accomplishment. It was different when we succeeded as a whole team in a sense that we were going to be remembered for something together,” Browdy said. “We took a team with no wins our first year to a winning record and beating teams that have had programs for years.”

With the first ever Hewlett wrestlers just graduating, next season and seasons coming will be led by young wrestlers who have also experienced the uproots for the program. Troy Smith, Rob Rosenberg, Simon Greebel, Aaron Weinberg and Owen Bachelder will lead a talented team in 2011-12, where Hewlett only looks to build on a strengthening foundation.

Bachelder was Hewlett’s first ever All-County winner with a fifth place finish at 96 pounds as just a seventh grader. Smith and Rosenberg earned all-state honors at the freestyle championships as well.

“The senior leaders we had this year is a terrible loss, but next year we will see who steps up,” Jiminez said. “We will see when the time comes in September who will take the role as a leader for our team.”