By Esteban Ramirez
Sports Editor
Wrestling has always been in the bloodline of the Hammond family.
Their father, Ray Hammond, wrestled at Bakersfield High and then at CSU Bakersfield in 1985. Then just about 24 years later, Hammond’s son Bryce and his younger son Coleman followed in his footsteps as they are wrestling for CSUB.
“Even when we weren’t wrestling we were always around it for as long as I can remember,” Bryce said. “It’s kind of all we have known. I can’t really compare it to anything just because we have always wrestled every day, but it has kept us busy and out of trouble.”
Bryce, who is a redshirt-junior, competes in the 174-pound weight class and Coleman, who is a redshirt-freshman, competes in 149. Both wrestled at BHS before going to CSUB.
Coleman said that everyone in their family understands the sacrifices they have to make.
“There is more respect towards it and there’s understanding of what we are doing every day,” Coleman said.
Bryce and Coleman started wrestling at a young age and other than two years–when Bryce was a freshman in high school and was a freshman at CSUB–they have always wrestled on the same team.
Bryce: “It’s how it has always been. We were on the junior high team together, then high school together and now in college together, so it’s nice to have your brother and your friends all on the team together. It’s comfortable.”
Coleman: “That was a little different because we had grown up going to the same tournaments and stuff. So now being on the same team is nice because we are in the same place. I’m not worrying about how Bryce is doing at a national tournament or something like that. We have classes together too, so it’s kind of fun. It kind of takes the stress away before a big tournament.”
Bryce is a two-time PAC-12 champion for CSUB. He went 34-10 in his redshirt-freshman year, and went 24-14 and earned All-American honors last season. This year he is currently 14-7.
After being the first four-time All-American wrestler in California history at BHS, Coleman was redshirted last year but is currently 17-9 this season.
Coleman said that what Bryce does well is his ability to scramble and control position very well.
Bryce, who he said is not as athletic as Coleman added that he wishes he had as good of an offense as Coleman.
Coleman: “People in the wrestling community know that Bryce is tough on the mat, but they might not know that he also has a deeper side to him. He’s very theologically sound, he’s a good Christian guy and in a lot of instances I go to Bryce with regards to a question on religion.”
Bryce: “I don’t think people know how funny Coleman is. He’s a funny guy. When all you know someone from is wrestling and that fighter side, I think people forget that these wrestlers still have personalities.”
CSUB wrestling coach Mike Mendoza said that Bryce and Coleman have added a family atmosphere to the team.
“They’re very family oriented and there are guys on our team that are out of town who they have kind of adopted into their family thing,” Mendoza said. “There’s definitely some closeness on the team.
“It’s great having the Hammond brothers on the team. They’re obviously great wrestlers, good kids and good students. They raise the caliber in the room and the quality of our wrestlers.”
