Bastante brothers bring the energy to the mat

Photo Courtesy of Brooke Cheifetz

Nick (left) and Christian Bastante(right) strengthen each other in and outside of wrestling, creating a legacy that will last forever.

Christian and Nick Bastante are not just brothers; they are teammates, competitors and each other’s biggest supporters. Growing up they have always shared a close bond, but their passion for wrestling has brought them even closer. 

Despite being older, Senior Captain Nick Bastante was the one to follow in the footsteps of his younger brother Christian. They both spent their younger years playing sports but for Nick, he didn’t find himself on the mats until middle school. 

“I was always watching Christian wrestle, and I was always interested, but I was playing soccer,” Nick said. “When I got into wrestling, I felt like I had a lot of experience just from watching.” 

Christian began wrestling in second grade and found his passion for the sport at a very young age. Now, both being in high school, they use each other as motivation to help each other become better and succeed. 

“It’s nice to have someone with you through the process, especially when you’re cutting weight and it makes you feel like you are not suffering alone,” Christian said. 

The off-season training is one of the most important things in order to do well in the season. They spend countless hours practicing together, whether it’s at home, at the gym, at different clubs or at school in order to prepare themselves for the season ahead. 

As they progressed through their wrestling careers, they each developed distinct styles that has helped them to excel on the mat. 

“Christian’s definitely more of a hand fighter, but I like to wrestle more in space and take shots from farther away,” Nick said. 

Both brothers have been successful throughout the 2024-2025 season with Christian wrestling at 126 lbs. and Nick wrestling the weight class above him at 132 lbs. No matter what the outcome is of his brother’s match, Nick always likes to go out and compete for his team and himself. 

“When I see my brother win or lose, it just strengthens me to do better, whatever the result is,” Nick said. “It just makes me want to go out there and help the team and myself out.” 

One of the most memorable moments between the brothers was coming in first at districts last season. These wins help contribute to the legacy they will leave behind.

“That’s one of my favorite memories, both our names are now on the board in the wrestling room and that’s going to be remembered forever,” Christian said. 

The Bastantes are having excellent seasons and have helped the team get to a 7-5 record. Christian and Nick look to continue to motivate each other and succeed for the remainder of the season.