Athlete of the Week: Orion Anderson

SCHUYLERVILLE —
Orion Anderson, a 2018 graduate of Schuylerville High School who took Saratoga County by storm when he was a NY state wrestling champion not once, but three times and a four-time state finalist, is a sophomore wrestler at University of Maryland where he has a full scholarship. Anderson was Maryland’s primary starter at 133 pounds and in his freshman year he: tallied six wins, including two in dual competition; secured a win by fall at Princeton Open; won first dual bout by decision against Central Michigan; and represented Maryland at the 2019 Big Ten Championships. “Last year, starting as a freshman, was definitely a struggle but with the new coach change things have improved a ton this year. I think it’s hard as an 18-year-old when you’re going up against 25-year-old guys, just because of the strength and everything else. The weight cutting I’ve done a lot better with this year and my strength is definitely way better, it’ll just keep getting better. It was nice to get a lot of competition in this season, though. The practices are a lot more intense this year, the team is just a different culture already. People are living better and I think it’s showing,” Anderson said. Coach Kerry McCoy stepped down as head coach in May of last year and was replaced by Alex Clemson, a decision that Anderson said was for the best of the team. “I loved coach McCoy, he’s a great guy, but I think just the coaching and the way the team is living this year, it’s making a big difference,” he said. Anderson is declaring Family Science as his major. “[Family Science] has a wide variety of things you can do with it and I’m not that good at math,” he laughed. “So, that limits a lot of the majors for me here because it’s a big math school, so I think this major is the best option because there is just so much you can do with it,” he explained. Anderson said Maryland is a tough school, but he has all the resources he needs if he finds himself in a tough spot. “My favorite part is how big the school is, there is always something to do on campus. I meet new people almost every day and that’s what I like most about it,” Anderson said.