The wrestling mat was old — more than 20 years old. It had seen a lot of sweat and spit and blood and tears — just like the wrestlers who had toiled through countless matches on its worn, faded surface. The mat had been through so much, its spongy, protective softness had begun to dry up and harden, posing a safety risk last season at St. Mary's on Duke of Gloucester Street in Annapolis.
"It was the same old mat Dad had here when he coached," said St. Mary's wrestling coach Dave Hicks, whose father, Wayne, coached the Saints from 2001 to 2008 and oversaw the mat's refurbishing about 10 years ago. "It was the same mat they used in the early 1990s."
The mat seemed, at times, to reflect the struggle of the team. So when a brand-new $9,000 mat showed up for this season, a gift from the Royal Blue Club and the St. Mary's Athletic Association, which split the cost, the school's wrestlers and their coach rejoiced. The new royal-blue mat, with the insignia of the two supporting groups on opposite corners, represents how far the team has come in the past two years and what is perceived as a change of attitude at the school toward the program.
"I think it was a big deal to get that mat," said Michael Richardson, whose son Mike Jr. wrestles for the team. "It represented the transformation in the program. The program has been rebuilt, and that mat represents how far they've come. It made them feel good about themselves, and it was like a reward for all the hard work they'd put in."
St. Mary's wrestling has been through several rebuilding phases. Hicks' father, Wayne, recalls that when he came to St. Mary's in 2001, the program was in much the same shape as it was when his son took over three years ago.
"We had about seven or eight wrestlers that first year," Wayne Hicks said. "But then we built it up to as many as 20 one year and won the B Conference and the state championship in 2007, I believe."
They did that on the old mat, which had been reconditioned once. Wayne Hicks said that near the end of his tenure, the program had again taken a downward turn and noted, "There wasn't much life left in that old wrestling mat."
St. Mary's seniors Frank Lozzi, who wrestles at 152 pounds, and Connor Crowley, who competes at 215, recalled that when they joined the team two years ago there wasn't much life left in the team either. There were only about six wrestlers on the roster, and they all lost a lot. This season, they haven't missed the significance of the new piece of equipment, a visual sign of support.
"The mat was old and pretty horrid," Lozzi said. "Now we have a new mat and a full team. There was even a student section tonight."
Added Crowley after a match in December: "I've never seen a student section here before. The students, the mat, it shows the team that the school cares about our program."
Two years ago, St. Mary's, with its small cast, went 0-11. Last season, with a full roster, the Saints improved to 8-4 overall and 6-1 in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference, good for a tie for second place. And this season they are 3-3 overall and 3-2 in the conference.
"When I first got here three years ago, there were rumors they were going to drop the program," Dave Hicks said. "The second year, I slid inside the school and did some recruiting. The kids I got, plus the ones who came back, made us better. I think the school recognizes that interest has picked up. They've realized wrestling is here to stay.
"And I'm thinking about us moving up to the A Conference," he said. "It's the only way to get better. We're a young team this year. ... But we're winning the matches or matchups we should be winning, and I think many of my wrestlers are right on the cusp of becoming very tough wrestlers to beat. We've got a good program. We've got six or seven freshmen coming in next year from the junior leagues. We're building. And it's exciting — if you have the patience for it."
The mat came because Hicks asked for it. The purchase of the mat was brought up at a meeting of the Royal Blue Club, one of two nonprofit groups that work to raise money and help with large purchases for the athletic department. The other is the St. Mary's Athletic Association.
Together, those two organizations have served the athletic department extensively. The Royal Blue Club is a group of alumni who raise money strictly for St. Mary's athletics program, primarily through donations.
"The mat was part of a wish list," said Ed Mullen, a former club president. "We pay for all the uniforms for all the St. Mary's athletes. We've bought a pitching machine for the baseball team and equipment for the field hockey team, among other things."
Since 2002 the group has given $650,000 to the school. Included in that total is $250,000 to $300,000 in financial aid to students who maintain at least a 2.5 GPA and participate in two sports. Fifteen students are receiving aid this year.
Meanwhile, the Athletic Association has been raising money for more than 50 years and specializes in activities such as catering events and concession stands at events as diverse as the Annapolis Boat Show and a school football game.
"For a relatively small Catholic school, there are lots of needs," association member David Wagner said. "There was the wrestling mat, sweat shirts for the coaches, uniforms for all the teams. We buy for boys and girls lacrosse and girls field hockey. And when St. Mary's got its new field for football, lacrosse, soccer and field hockey, no more than five years ago, it didn't have any stands or lights or even a scoreboard. It's been a gradual thing, but we've worked to buy all those things."
Wagner, who was never a wrestler and has a son who is a lacrosse player, said he has developed a special appreciation for the wrestling team.
"We try to contribute to all the sports because they all have needs," Wagner said. "But wrestling is the one thing I've come to appreciate. I can't imagine any other group of athletes being in as good a shape as a wrestler."
And the wrestlers are in better shape now because Hicks, who also runs Bullseye School of Wrestling with Anne Arundel County native and former Oklahoma State wrestler Ryan Davis, is driving home the importance of a strong work ethic and yearlong wrestling.
"At first, I couldn't buy them a car," Hicks said, referring to the wrestlers' initial disinterest in extra training. "But last year, two or three of them started showing up for workouts. We show them techniques, give them options, show them where they can go wrestle in a tournament in the offseason. I think interest will steadily increase now. They're starting to become wrestlers."
Said Crowley: "He's taught us that you've always got a little more left inside you. And Coach Dave pushes us hard."
Added Lozzi: "He expects nothing less than victory. He deserves to see us give back to him."
That's the attitude the Royal Blue and the Athletic Association have toward the wrestlers, too.
"We knew something had to be done," Mullen said. "Our facilities aren't designed for wrestling. They practice in the cafeteria, they were wrestling on an old and dangerous mat. It's a great sport, and we want to maintain and see this sport continue to grow. As tough as wrestling is, they ought to be able to wrestle on a safe, quality mat."