The Sumner School District has named 23-year-old Justin Rambow as Sumner High’s varsity wrestling coach.

Rambow recently earned his master’s degree in education from Pacific Lutheran University and was a 2005 graduate of Rogers High School in Puyallup.

Rambow was a student teacher at SHS last year and was a volunteer coach for the Spartan mat squad that struggled through a winless 0-8 campaign in the South Puget Sound League 3A.

Sumner High has moved down one classification as a charter member of the new SPSL 2A division and Rambow is already excited about getting the mat season under way in November.

“I was examining our schedule the other day and I think we have really got a fighting chance to be successful during the upcoming season,” he said. “I feel as if wrestling at the 2A level will be one of the factors in bringing the once proud Sumner High mat program back to the caliber it was three or four years ago.”

The coach cites talented returnees like Tyler Hidalgo, Marcus Forhan, Zack Wooding, Matthew Wilson, Anthony Martin, Cole Lepper, Jeremy Jackson, Nick Hultberg and Tanner Seabloom.

“It is going to be our job as a coaching staff to sharpen their skills by drawing out their strengths,” said Rambow, a state participant in the 130-pound weight division for the Rogers High Rams in his senior year.

Rambow, a self-described “spirited and animated person” has a wrestling philosophy that could best be categorized as a belief that if you wrestle for the betterment of the team, you will improve yourself individually as well in the long run.