ESD Wrestling Tackles State Rankings

March 20, 2024

When Kwinten Brown became Program Director in 2018, the wrestling team had only four student-athletes. Since then, the numbers have more than doubled, with 13 upper school and eight middle school members this past year. As accolades continue to rise, Brown has high ambitions for the future of ESD wrestling, starting with program growth in the community. 

Most notable for its successes at the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC), the wrestling program has seen five second-place finishers between 2018 and 2023. The 2023-24 season has been particularly prosperous at the SPC, with upper school students Brett Dopona ’26 placing first, Miles Bates ’24 in second, and Vaughn Langston ’25 taking third place. 

The Middle and High School Prep States competitions have also yielded positive results, with one middle schooler taking home the Middle School Prep States championship in the 2021-22 school year. Additionally, Cindy Lin ’25 was crowned High School Prep States Champion for the girls’ division, with Brett Dopona ’26 following closely behind in second place and Xander Monteiro ’26 finishing in fourth. Cindy and Brett went on to compete at the National Prep Tournament, where they came close to earning the title of High School All-American. 

“The wrestling program at ESD, though small in numbers right now, is headed in the right direction with the middle school program growing,” Brown said. “We only had one senior on the team this winter, and [with] the success the current juniors and sophomores had this season, the future looks bright.” 

According to Texas Prep Rankings, ESD is the ninth-ranked independent school in the state with 54 team points and six ranked wrestlers. As the program continues to grow, Brown looks forward to packed stands at home matches, fans traveling to cheer on ESD at away matches, and a full lineup of student-athletes ready to discover their unique strengths.