Through his positivity, grit, and well-roundedness, Danny Hopkins ’25 has made a huge impact on the wrestling team. As a result of these traits, he is now closing in on 100 wins in his high school career.
Introduced to wrestling through gym class in 4th grade, Hopkins has been wrestling on Varsity since his freshman year and is now Co-Captain of the team. He explains, “What sets me apart is how bad I want it. After practice, I’m running or jumping rope with Jack [Signor ’26], and I do extra stance motion practice during Domino sometimes as well.” Hopkins’ unstoppable resolve leads him to victory: a favorite memory of his was winning a match—also to win the duel meet—with only three seconds left on the clock. He further states his greatest accomplishment was placing fourth at state championships in his junior year.
Damon Kuzemka, Varsity Wrestling Coach, comments, “He’s one of my go-to guys. At this point, as a senior, I can ask him and my other captains their opinions about decisions and changes I’m thinking about making. But Danny, in particular, always offers a unique perspective. I think his positivity and his honesty with the kids that are on our team as well as his fun, energetic attitude has really made him grow into a great leader.”
Hopkins’s close friend and Co-Captain, Jack Signor ’26 adds, “Danny is very good at leading by example. Since he is very professional in his approach to wrestling and is an extremely hard worker, Danny has become a key leader and asset to the team.” Hopkins has proven himself to be one of the varsity team’s most consistent and dedicated members. For example, for many years he has done club wrestling at Great Valley and Malvern. Signor adds, “I would like to thank Danny for always being there for me, driving me to practice, doing extra workouts with me, and being there to talk just about cutting weight or anything. He’s just a good teammate and a great friend.”
Hopkins’s leadership and aggressive wrestling style have led to both personal and team success. Signor highlights Hopkins’s improvement, stating, “Danny went from, I think he had 17 wins as a freshman to about 35 last year.” He adds, “The ability has always been there. He was able to fill out his weight class, and now he even went up two more weight classes and has a chance to get 100 wins, which is very exciting.” In the eyes of his peers and coaches, Hopkins’s work on and off the mat has made him a cornerstone of the team.
Hopkins looks forward to wrestling for the Gettysburg College Bullets. Aside from the rigorous academics, he chose Gettysburg “for the team and the coaches.” He’s excited about the future of the Gettysburg team, adding that “It’s a program on the rise, and I want to be a part of that.”
Hopkins also sees a bright future for the EA wrestling program: “We definitely got some dogs [hard-working athletes].” The team is packed with a brotherhood of young talent and committed coaches. Hopkins has defined the expectations of the wrestling team by promoting inclusivity and outworking everyone else. Signor put it best, “He was always smaller, but it only limited him to success, never failure.”