The senior wrestler and second-year captain won the Radnor Holiday Tournament at 152 pounds with four pins and a major decision. He also has won the Travis Manion Wrestling Tournament at LaSalle and delivered a big pin in the Raiders’ 398-36 win against Strath Haven earlier this season. Last winter, he qualified for Regionals. A three-sport athlete, he runs track in the spring, and last fall was a productive wide receiver for the Radnor football team, receiving All-Central League and All-Main Line honors. Radnor wrestling head coach Matt Torresani said, “Jahmair has been a great leader the past two years, both on and off the mat. He has a great work ethic and is always hungry to keep getting better. It’s what makes him not only a great wrestler but an all-around athlete and student. On the mat he’s got a great sense of positions and has built a nice repertoire even though he has wrestled for only a few years. Jahmair always wants to wrestle the best guy on the other team and is disappointed when he doesn’t get to.”
Q: What was your most memorable match at the Radnor Holiday Tournament – can you share your memory of it with us? What was working particularly well for you that day?
A: The most memorable for me was probably the championship match, in which I was down 2-0 going into the third period. I remember thinking that I’ve gotten this far I can’t give up now and then got an escape point. He ended up taking a shot and I defended it, then turned him on his back to win the match 3-2.
Q: What do you think has been the best match of your Radnor career, and why?
A: The match that qualified me for Regionals last year, in which I faced someone I had wrestled six times before. Going into this match Coach Torresani gave me a pep talk, saying that I got this and to just go out there and have fun. It really took a ton of pressure off me, even though I knew if I lost that match then my season would be over.
Q: What do you consider your biggest strength on the mat and what you are working on most currently?
A: My biggest strength currently is how well I ride on top. I continue to practice different moves that I can use to pin my opponents. I’m currently working on continuing to move during neutral and not to stand still.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-match preparation the day of a match.
A: The day of a match I usually get all my wrestling gear put together before I go to school so that when I get home I can just relax before heading back to the high school. Once I got home I usually play some Xbox for about an hour then start to listen to music to get myself ready to wrestle.
Q: You started wrestling in seventh grade – what sparked your initial interest in wrestling? Who have been your most important wrestling mentors, and what was the most important thing you learned from each of them?
A: I originally tried out for the basketball team and didn’t make it. I knew that I wanted to do a sport during the winter so some of my friends told me to join the wrestling team. One of my mentors is Coach Torresani. I’ve learned a ton from him – the one thing that I always think of before a match because of Coach Torresani is to just go out there and have some fun. Another mentor is Coach Schellenger, who taught me that just because you’re losing doesn’t mean that the match is over and to never give up.
Q: What do you think you might want to major in at college? Is there a particular career path that interests you?
A: I want to study dentistry in college and eventually become a dentist
Fun facts – Jahmair Rider
Favorite TV show: Game of Thrones.
Favorite movie: Black Panther.
Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: Lucky You by Eminem.
Favorite pre-meet meal: Turkey bacon wrap from Wawa.
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
