By William Chrysler
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Wind gusts of up to 65 miles per hour ripped the roof off Adams Hall on Jan. 9, rendering the home of the Camden County College Cougars wrestling team condemned and unusable. The college plans to turn the handball court in Papiano Gymnasium into a wrestling room, remove a side wall to widen the area and renovate a locker room for the team. It plans to tear down Adams Hall.
Wrestling Coach John Chillem awoke Jan. 10 planning to prepare his team for a weekend trip to the Virginia dual meet in Hampton. Around 8 a.m., his cell phone sounded with a call from the college’s Facilities Department to deliver the news about Adams Hall, the wrestling team’s home for the last 10 years. Chillem posted a Facebook message to the Camden County College community to describe the loss and express optimism in the face of it: “We are working hard and are focused on our goals this season. Onward and upward!”
Adams Hall, once used for classroom space, was given to the wrestling program in 2014. Chillem, then an assistant coach under Coach Gary Papa, began a 10-year campaign of fundraising and improving the facility. Donations paid for mats, workout equipment, locker room furniture, showers and team signs. The wrestling coaches provided many hours of labor to make these improvements.
“A lot of hard work went in reconstruction of support columns in the mat area to provide ample space to conduct a wrestling practice,” said Carl Siegfried, the team’s clock keeper at home matches. Siegfried, who has a construction background, designed the many support columns from finished pine donated by a local business.
Chillem called Adams Hall “a special place.”
“Not too many wrestling programs occupy a stand-alone building exclusive for wrestling, especially junior colleges,” Chillem said. “It was made special with the elbow grease and contributions from people in our community that care about wrestling. It was great to provide our wrestlers with the space and resources they need to reach their goals.”
The loss of the facility brought heartbreak to wrestlers as well.
“This was our home. We belonged here,” said freshman wrestler Yasin Carter.
Freshman wrestler Kyle Picard stated, “We are wrestlers. We are accustomed to moving forward in the face of adversity. It is unfortunate but I know we will make the best of whatever is in our control.”
The wrestling team pivoted to a new practice facility at the American MMA and Wrestling facility in Williamstown for the remainder of the 2023-2024 season. The young team continued its successful season, sending four wrestlers to the National Junior College Championship in Council Bluffs, Iowa.