Awaiting the start of duals in January the Oakmont High wrestling team is hard at work training. Head coach David Wells has arrived in Roseville with a new program ready to work with his team.

Under first-year coach Wells the Vikings begin a new season with a new philosophy. According to Wells, this new Viking program with focus on speed and technique through daily repetition.
He hopes his team may adopt the importance of drilling that he knows from his own wrestling experience at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Instead of live training, Wells uses drilling to keep things fun for his team while ingraining a tough work ethic and skillful techniques.

New to coaching at the high school level, Wells has spent his time since 2006 coaching at Granite Oaks Middle School. Prior to that he began at El Modena High School in Orange County, the area where he grew up. In high school he won the Southern Section tournament and placed eighth as a junior and sixth as a senior in state.

At Cal Poly, Wells wrestled under esteemed coach Lennis Cowell. He was a Pac-10 champion and placed seventh in the National tournament.

Brand new in the high school program, Wells hopes his credentials wear off on his team.

“I don’t like to call any season a rebuilding season because it sounds like a copout for this season,” said Wells. “It’s probably good that we see some good competition early in Del Oro in January. We should have a good three or four wins in every dual. I don’t want it to be a rebuilding year because I want everyone to reach their full potential this year.”

Already Oakmont has seen an increase in the number of wrestlers joining the team this year, according to Wells.

He hopes that his more experienced wrestlers will step in and play the mentor role to his younger ones. The Vikings have one senior especially stepping into that leadership role. Russell Lebard is the senior captain for Oakmont. Weighing in at 215 pounds Wells says he is the mature, strong and cautious mentor his team needs to grow this year.

Lebard was a standout captain for the Viking football team during this last fall season. As an offensive and defensive lineman averaging nearly four tackles a game, he is no stranger to responsibility.

Jake Elliot was a freshman phenomenon for the Vikings last year. Now a sophomore, Elliot is in either the 135 or 130-pound class as Wells figures out how to play him. According to Wells Elliot is his most skilled wrester. His technical skills balanced with year-round freestyle state and national competitions make him one of the most focused wrestlers in Roseville.

Colton Helliwell is the new heavyweight to Oakmont’s team. At 285 pounds as a junior in his first year, Helliwell brings a whole new dynamic to the team.

Yanni Athens is another athlete of note for the Vikings. A sophomore with a strong and hard work ethic weighing in at 112 pounds Athens shows a lot of promise Along with Athens is his sophomore training partner, Richie Allard, at a weight class below.

“A lot of kids apparently left last season, took their equipment and left the team,” said Wells. “I was short a lot of supplies coming in. We have levels of necessity though. Level one is we need to compete. Level two is we need to get uniforms for everyone. A lot of the parents of Oakmont players are really supportive. There’s a lot of parental support here in Roseville.”

Coach’s Corner

Dave Wells

Wrestling coach, Oakmont High

First year

Personal data -  Married with two daughters, ages 3 and 6-years-old.
Day job - CPA for third-party health insurance benefits administrator Intercare Insurance in Roseville
Wrestling background -  Coached Granite Oaks Middle School in 2006.  Wrestled for El Modena High School in Orange County, won the Southern Section tournament and placed as high as sixth in state.
College -  Wrestled at  Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, finished as high as seventh in the nation

Hometown - Born and raised in the city of Orange, located in central Orange County.
Favorite quote – “Enjoy what you do, success will follow.”
Station tuned in on car radio right now -   98.5 rock