The LoHud Wrestling Blog

Pleasantville’s James Bathon wasn’t considered the favorite for a section title heading into the tournament, but he showed that he probably should have been. The Panthers’ 99-pounder beat Edgemont’s Kyle Aslanian in the Division 2 finals with a 3-0 decision, avenging a sectional loss to Aslanian last season. He’s on track to be one of the top wrestlers in D2 for years to come.

Year: Freshman

Weight class: 99 in D2

How many years have you been wrestling for? I’ve been wrestling for about four years.

Is this your first section title? Yes, this is my first section title.

Describe what was going through your head when the referee raised your hand after the finals? I was just relieved and happy my hard work paid off.

What was the most difficult obstacle that you had to overcome this season? There were several obstacles that could contend for my most difficult obstacle this season… Maybe it was certifying at 101, or maybe it was dropping a ceramic cookie jar on my hand and having to get stitches in the middle of the wrestling season. (Now I know wrestlers shouldn’t be dipping their hand in the cookie jar, but in my defense, I needed the jar so I could trace a circle for a school project.)

What area do you feel that you’ve improved on the most over the course of the season? I feel I’ve improved the most on bottom, but I still need to improve on all areas of my wrestling.

What are some of your favorite things to do outside of wrestling? I play football, baseball and I also swim. I like to hang out with my friends and family, and I also like to watch TV.

What is playing in your headphones while you get ready for a match? I don’t really know how to use an iPod or the iTunes, so I’m not listening to music before a match. I prefer to stay completely focused on my up coming match.

What is your favorite TV show? My favorite TV show is Revolution, but I also really enjoy watching the History Channel.

Name one thing that’s interesting about you that people may not know about you? I like half of my bagel with butter and the other half with cream cheese.