CSUSM’s Wrestling Club is preparing for this upcoming season with Connor Shinn as their new president.

Shinn is a fifth-year senior majoring in chemistry and minoring in math and has been wrestling since his freshman year at San Pasqual High School in Escondido. He held the title of captain his senior year and his team broke the record for most students placing in CIF and their overall team placed sixth in Division 1.

There was no wrestling club when Shinn first started at CSUSM but a fellow student, Brock Smith, approached him saying he had a plan for one in mind.

“I actually was approached in spring semester of 2013 … He noticed my San Pasqual Wrestling hoodie and asked if I wrestled in high school … He basically told me he was trying to start a club and asked if I would be interested,” said Shinn.

Since 2013, the wrestling club has steadily grown but Shinn said he is hoping for more progress this upcoming year.

“Hopefully what we hope to accomplish this year is to get our name out there more into the community and hopefully to be able to, in competition, do a lot better.”

Frank Sandoval, the wrestling team’s Vice President, has similar goals for this year.

“This upcoming season we hope to create an environment where wrestling can flourish at our school,” said Sandoval. “We also, obviously, want to compete well and have some fun in the process.”

Shinn said one of the club’s biggest accomplishments was making top 10 in regionals last season. This was a huge step up from placing second-to-last at state the previous year. During the regular season last year Shinn had a total of nine wins and only two losses.

The Wrestling Club has an upcoming match on Oct. 22 at Camp Pendleton. CSUSM will host matches with UCSD and USC on Oct. 29