Author: BTSPhilly

Daishawn Tilghman began wrestling in 6^th grade at Belmont Charter School and was first accepted in the Mentoring Center in 7^th grade. However, he did not come on a regular basis and missed more mentoring sessions than he attended. As an 8^th grader, Daishawn realized that education was a key component to living a successful life. He began coming into the mentoring center on a weekly basis looking to improve his grades and receive guidance with his impending high school decision. Daishawn applied to schools with strong academic programs across the city and was accepted into Mastery Charter School.
The gap from middle school to high school is a large one, especially from an academic standpoint. The amount of homework increases, tests become harder, and teachers give students less leeway when they fall behind. This can seem daunting to many incoming freshman, and it often takes them a while to adjust to the new standards. Daishawn, however hit the ground running. During his first semester of high school, he was constantly at the mentoring center staying on top of his homework and studying. He managed to maintain high grades, while still competing in wrestling. This season Daishawn is 17-6 and ranked 5^th in the district at 220 lbs., a weight class typically dominated by upperclassmen.
While Daishawn’s wrestling accomplishments are certainly impressive, his academic achievements are even more admirable. Daishawn was named to the Mastery honor roll for the first quarter of the school year. Daishawn’s accomplishments in the classroom have earned him the honor of being named the first ever Mentee of the Month.

Coming into the season Franklin Towne Charter’s new coach, Brian Swift, had some questions about his team. In particular, which wrestlers were going to step into leadership positions. Mikaela Estepp quickly answered that question. A senior, but only a second year wrestler, Estepp’s drive and work ethic made her an obvious choice for team captain. Swift said it was apparent from the very beginning that she was going to be a huge positive influence on the team.
“She brings an energy to the wrestling room. When we are doing conditioning she will literally grab a freshman and say “keep up with me”. She pushes those around her to push themselves and improve as well.”
Mikaela sets an example in the classroom as well as the mats. She is a member of the National Honor Society and was recently admitted into Penn State main campus. She balances her academic success while being a 3-sport athlete, also competing in lacrosse and earning All-City honors in field hockey.
This year she also spearheaded a fundraising effort to raise money for the program. After several hours of collecting donations in buckets on Aramingo Avenue, the team raised over $1000.
Franklin Towne Charter is off to one of their best starts in school history with a 10-2 dual record. Coach Swift credits Mikaela as being the “glue” that holds the team together.
“She’s an extremely moldable wrestler, when I’m showing moves, she’s always looking at the little details and trying to mirror them. She’s like a sponge absorbing the information, and she always puts 100% into everything she does. I wish I could put her heart and drive into every wrestler.”
Despite wrestling for a predominantly male team and league, Mikaela was still able to earn the starting spot at 145. This is a weight class above where she would normally wrestle, but she made the commitment for the betterment of the team. Franklin Towne Charter has 3 other girls on their roster, and with wrestlers like Mikaela leading the way, could very well see that number increase in the future.
Due to her leadership and work ethic, Mikaela is December’s Wrestler of the Month.

It’s rare to see someone with as much drive as Thomas Jennings, especially at such a young age. Thomas, only 11, started wrestling last season and was soon hooked. Many wrestlers, especially ones new to the sport, take the summers off, but that idea never crossed Thomas’s mind. 2 or 3 times every week he travelled to Penn Charter or George Washington to practice. While others were relaxing, he was developing new skills and honing previously learned ones. His coaches rave about his attention to detail and his determination to master moves. If Thomas doesn’t understand a move, he’ll try it again, and again, and again, until he can confidently execute it with no problems.
Thomas’s drive on the wrestling mat is fueled by a much bigger goal, getting a college education. His older sister plays soccer on scholarship at Kutztown University. Growing up in a competitive family, he uses that to motivate himself to get better at wrestling, realizing that someday he could use the sport to offset the cost of his own college education. While college is still a long way off for the 6^th grader, he is already setting himself on track to achieve his goals. At any given practice this offseason, the coaches knew that Thomas would be there, putting in the extra hours to improve his skills. Thomas has already improved leaps and bounds from where he was last year, and his progression will only continue with the hard work and dedication he invests in the sport. He cannot wait to get on the mats and wrestle some matches this season to show the progress he has made.
When asked what he enjoyed about the sport, Thomas replied that he had great coaches that made him feel comfortable and confident on the mats. Thomas loves going to practice and being able to receive instruction from knowledgeable coaches that genuinely care about him.
Thomas’s drive and dedication have made him November’s Wrestler of the Month.