In the wrestling room, “practice partners” is a term used to describe two wrestlers who work together regularly during practice. This appears in the form of drilling exercises, learning new moves and wrestling “live” against each other. Found within Hofstra University’s wrestling room is something remarkable: practice partners graduate student Zachary Knighton-Ward and freshman Adrian Sans.
“A practice partner is not just someone that pushes you in practice, they’re like a brother to you,” Sans said. “You push him every day; every day you guys go through the same thing, same grind, everything together.”
Head coach Dennis Papadatos affirmed this sentiment.
“Your results are directly tied up into your practice partner, so it’s very important. They’re almost two people that kind of make one thing,” Papadatos said. “Someone’s results – their practice partners have a piece of that, so it’s a union; it’s a relationship.”
This unique relationship can’t happen between just any two wrestlers. For one, a partner must be roughly the same size. Knighton-Ward and Sans are both heavyweights, meaning they wrestle in the 285-pound weight class.
Practice partners are crucial for a wrestler’s success, but what does an effective practice partner look like? As Sans said, their job is to push each other.
“[A good practice partner is someone who] doesn’t let you coast, that doesn’t just let you get away with something to kind of get through, that motivates you, that pushes you, that makes you work, that helps you,” Papadatos said. “It’s encouraging but it’s not easy, [it’s] demanding. A good practice partner gets the best out of you.”
The line between helping one’s partner while also focusing on yourself can be blurred. Knighton-Ward and Sans have found this balance, both working to help the other in clear and practical ways.
“When I see him messing up or I see him doing something that’s not conducive to him winning at this level, I correct him and walk him through positions,” Knighton-Ward said. “Or I’ll get into a position and basically just show him what feels right and what feels wrong.”
“I know I ask a lot of questions. I’ll ask him what he wants to see, what type of look, if he wants me to do an underhook I’ll try to keep it as hard as I can,” Sans said.
Papadatos pointed out that Sans is unique for starting his college career in the heavyweight class. Sans also wrestled at this weight class in high school back home in Miami, Florida.
It isn’t just size that matters, though: there is something else that allows them to connect and work together. When recruiting and when choosing a school, the compatibility of a practice partner is crucial when making these decisions.
“Every single person on the team, I viewed as if they would be a good practice partner,” Papadatos said. “I may be right, I may be wrong, but it’s 100% something I think about for every single person on the team.”
Sans echoed this sentiment, saying it was an influence on his decision to commit to Hofstra.
“Honestly [having Knighton-Ward as a practice partner] means a lot; he’s been where I want to be, and he’s like a light at the end of the tunnel. He shows me what’s right and what’s wrong,” Sans said. “If I ever see him doing something, I’m going to try to mimic it. If he’s doing sprints at 100 miles per hour, I’m going to try to beat him, even though that might not happen.”
An opportunity for growth is also available for Knighton-Ward by working with a new guy.
“They say when you start teaching something you get better at it because you start breaking it down in your own head,” Papadatos said. “So it’s going to help [Knighton-Ward] on helping him realize, ‘Oh, I didn’t know I did that’ when he tells [Sans], and it kind of reinforces everything.”
Knighton-Ward has a 7-5 record this year, adding to his Hofstra career record of 57-32. Sans’ record is 1-6, with his first college win happening at the Journeyman Classic where he beat Arizona State University’s Adrian Palosika.
Knighton-Ward will be the Pride’s starter at the 285-pound weight class and will be seen at upcoming dual meets. With the NCAA championships happening in March 2023, the two of them have plenty of time to keep pushing each other before Knighton-Ward leaves. Sans still has plenty of time left, and from what Knighton-Ward has to say about him, it’s looking hopeful.
“He didn’t want to take the shortcuts; he didn’t want to take the quick and easy route that a lot of guys tend to try to take when things get hard. He was okay with walking into the fire, and just meeting it head-on,” Knighton-Ward said. “That’s what I kind of love about this kid: he’s hard-working, he’s going to push himself, he wants to be the best and he wants to succeed at this level.”
