For all athletes, they have seen how much COVID has changed their sports. From the way they practice, the new rules, the way they play, and even if they can play, but now for wrestlers, there is a new rule coming their way.

Wrestlers now must take a rapid COVID test before their meets.

“All participants must have a negative rapid antigen test on either the day before (done in conjunction with home weigh-in) or day of a meet or a negative PCR test within 72 hours of competition,” the Executive Director of MHSAA wrote in an update, “All tested wrestlers would be able to compete without wearing a mask during the match; masks would be required of all individuals at all other times during meets and practices.”

A rapid COVID tests consists of getting your nose swabbed for a couple seconds, then the results will come back in 15 minutes.

“I think that it is nice that we don’t have to wear mask now,” senior Santino Dinoto said, “but I think that it is a waste of money and I feel that it is stupid that MHSAA even thought that we would have to wear a mask while wrestling”

“I think that it’s amazing now that we will get tested before meets because we don’t have to wear a mask to wrestle,” senior Hunter Ali said. “It will be safer to wrestle and I think we can finally finish our season.”

These tests are not very accurate at all, if fact, doctors say that if you test negative you should take an actual COVID test after to see your true results. The rapid tests are known for giving patients false negatives.

How will these wrestlers get these tests before the meet? Coach Davis is now having to go through training to learn how to give a safe and accurate COVID test.

“I think all I need to do is watch a video. I literally just got the email yesterday about it and it really doesn’t make sense to me exactly what I need to do to get trained. I am pretty sure its just watching the video. The athletic trainer Adrien will be trained as well and probably Mrs. Holmes. I think its going to be a pain in the butt, but a necessary pain in the butt because it will be super beneficial for the wrestlers to be able to compete without a mask,” Coach Davis said. “Even though its wrestling I feel like we are able to contact trace pretty well. I have assigned the wrestlers to either a group of 3 or 4 that they practice with in their area of the room, and since its one on one competition, its easier to see who was in close contact with who. At this point I am hoping we get test kits before our first meet and performing them goes well.”