Dear Canandaigua Wrestling families, Alumni,

The leaves are changing. The mornings are getting cooler. The days are getting shorter. This can only mean one thing. The 2023/2024 Canandaigua wrestling season is upon us!
This season promises to be the beginning of a new era for the wrestling program with the future looking very bright! We will be returning the majority of the varsity team along with a great group of young hungry wrestlers looking to punch their ticket into the starting line up. We also have some talented and dedicated wrestlers joining us from the modified team.

23/24 will be my first year in the head coach position and honestly I couldn’t be more excited. But as any leader knows, I can't do this alone. Coming along with me on this journey will be existing coaches Derek Moore (Junior Varsity), Adam Sweet (Modified), Nate Gilligan (Modified), Mike Reed (Youth). New coaches joining the team will be Clayton Mack (Varsity Assistant), Deven York (Modified), Theron Chinn (Youth) and volunteers Lauren & Casey Lamb (Varsity/ Jv/ Youth). My faith and the knowledge in our existing and new coaches is unmatched. I believe together we will exceed current expectations and help our wrestlers not just succeed but thrive!

Looking forward to this season I’ve spent many hours looking back over the years and asking myself. What has made Canandaigua wrestling so successful time and again? Reviewing the 2 state championship teams (1981,2001), the 10 individual state champions, the 45 state place finishers, the 136 sectional champions. I couldn’t help but notice recurring themes. Desire, Dedication, Determination and Discipline. Alone these attributes are powerful but coupled together with the support of our wrestling families and our alumni community it’s no wonder our program has enjoyed the successes over the decades.

This year the teams will be reminded what it means to wear the Cherry and Gray, to wrestle for CANANDAIGUA! To set their goals high, to be prepared to out WORK, out WRESTLE, out CLASS their competition! These young men and women will be setting the stage for successes to come!

I invite you to join us on our journey. Come out and show the team what I already know. That our roots run deep and strong! I look forward to seeing you on the mats!

Coach Cuppernell
Canandaigua Academy Wrestling Class of 2001