Senior and captain Manny Tolkoff was down by more than 10 points. However, he never doubted his ability to win the match. Instead, Tolkoff stayed focused and determined, and he ultimately found a way to come back and win
Since first stepping onto the wrestling mat, Tolkoff has shown character and strength as both a competitor and a teammate. Next year, Tolkoff will take his wrestling skills to the Division III level at Trinity College.
While most student-athletes focus on one sport when it comes to recruitment, Tolkoff said his path was different.
“My entire junior year, I played club lacrosse, and I was trying to get recruited for that. I had a few things going really well that ended up not working out at the very end,” Tolkoff said. “At the beginning of August this year, I started reaching out to coaches for wrestling.”
Tolkoff said several aspects of Trinity influenced his decision to commit there.
“I always wanted to be near a city and be able to learn more about another area than Boston. The alumni connections were huge,” Tolkoff said. “Everyone seemed like they were having a good time and just loved their school.”
Tolkoff said that one of his biggest strengths is his determination. He said it has helped him in both the recruiting process and on the mat.
“There were a lot of times in the process where I thought it was all over, and I wasn’t going to get to play any sports in college. Instead of giving up, I was persistent, even if it felt like it wasn’t working out,” Tolkoff said. “I think that it shows in my wrestling, too. In one match, I was put on my back four times, but I didn’t get pinned and ended up winning the match.”
Junior and captain Liam Christ said Tolkoff works hard to improve..
“[Tolkoff] is always one of those people who’s been locked in. He goes to the gym every day, early in the morning. He’s always working in school, working to get mentally better, eating healthier, everything. He really works on building himself,” Christ said.
Wrestling head coach Brandon Bruttomesso said? Tolkoff’s mental strength and persistence have allowed him to grow as a wrestler.
“I think from the beginning he was always one of the hardest workers in the room. He was always incredibly coachable: really willing to hear feedback and apply those corrections without letting his ego get in the way,” Bruttomesso said.
In addition to being a determined and hardworking leader, Christ said Tolkoff is effective and inspiring.
“He’s very responsible, and he makes sure everyone’s working hard and the work ethic is good,” Christ said. “He’s always been a great leader on the team. He cares a lot. He’s such a good role model.”
Bruttomesso said that Tolkoff’s leadership is so strong in part because of his ability to empathize with his teammates.
“I think he does a really good job of understanding who his teammates are and what they need, and really trying to be able to be a voice for them,” Bruttomesso said. “He does a really good job of understanding what everybody’s going through.”
Tolkoff’s athletic future may not lie only in wrestling, as he also wants to play lacrosse at Trinity.
“I’d have to walk on. My goal is to try out for the team. As long as it’s okay with both coaches, then I would do both, but from what I’ve heard, it would be totally acceptable,” Tolkoff said.
According to Bruttomesso, Tolkoff’s achievement is very impressive.
“The statistics for college wrestling is the lowest percentage of high school athletes competing at the college level. I think it’s somewhere between 1 percent and 3 percent, which is the lowest of any sport,” Bruttomesso said. “So just getting to that level is an incredible accomplishment. I’m really proud of him for that.”
