Sports Sports Sports 07
Sophomore Sophia Thompson gets ready to wrestle with a Brownsburg competitor at the JV Hamilton Southeastern Invite. “Wrestling has [made] me a stronger person, physically and mentally.” said Thompson.
Freshman Nicole Pedroza wins a match by major decision against her Brownsberg opponent at the JV Hamilton Southeastern Invite. “I am planning on sticking with what I have worked to come to.” said Pedroza.
Junior Sabrina Pedroza captures her Brownsburg opponent in a headlock at the JV Hamilton Southeastern Invite. “[Wrestling is] really hard physically and mentally and it makes you a stronger person.” said Pedroza.
Wrestling Team Introduces First Female Wrestlers MEET THE GIRLS WHO TRANSFORM THEIR PASSION INTO ACTION BY COMPETING AT THE JV LEVEL
By Priya Shields Reporter
Every athlete competes to fulfill a passion, and freshmen Nicole Pedroza, sophomore Sophia Thompson and junior Sabrina Pedroza are no different. They channel that passion through wrestling, and they are the first three females to be part of the Avon High School Wrestling team. Each wrestler’s introduction to wrestling was slightly different. Thompson started wrestling in seventh grade at Campbell Middle School in Hawaii. “Before at my old school they had women’s wrestling, so I decided to try that and I liked that, so I wanted to do it again this year,” Thompson said. “There are a lot of girls that wrestle on the island.” Sisters Nicole and Sabrina Pedroza had no previous experience but were inspired to join by their brother and the thrill of the sport itself. “What really motivated me was watching my older brother Anthony Pedroza wrestle, and just seeing how passionate he was about it. He did the might I say, impossible, and it was very inspirational. So I decided, why not do what society does not see as normal,” Nicole Pedroza said. Head Coach Israel Blevins had no reservations about admitting them to the team. “They showed up to practice like the rest of the team,” Blevins said. FEBRUARY 2016
Although the thrill of the sport was an expectation and key factor in their interest, the relative lack of female opponents proved to be a minor obstacle.
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I WAS LOOKING FOR A MENTAL AND PHYSICAL CHALLENGE; WRESTLING WAS LIKE THE SOLUTION TO THAT.” Sabrina Pedroza, 11
“I had to wrestle the boys this year instead of the girls that I’m used to, and my dad is a little reluctant for me to wrestle boys because they’re stronger and I’m prone to more injuries,” Thompson said. However, Thompson was able to wrestle in six to eight matches this season with male wrestlers in the lowest weight class (weight class 106). “Although this year I haven’t won any matches,” Thompson said. “It’s hard muscle-wise to keep up with them because they’re naturally stronger than girls are.” All three wrestlers are in separate weight classes, and therefore practice with the male members of the team. “At the beginning of the year they were like, ‘uhhh I don’t want to wrestle a girl’ but then they kind of warmed up to me. They got used to me,” Thompson said. Both Pedrozas had similar experiences
with the male members of the team. “It took some time for the players to warm up because it’s awkward to have a girl in the wrestling room, but after a couple of weeks they started talking to me normally, and I became really good friends with like the whole team,” Nicole Pedroza said. Nicole Pedroza wrestled 10 males and one female in her 11 matches in the 126 pound weight class. “There was no holding back from either gender, both gave their all. It seemed when I wrestled a guy they were way more aggressive then what they would be towards a male,” Nicole Pedroza said. The physical challenge itself proved to be an immense mental strain for those new to the sport. “Wrestling is really hard, I almost cried like every practice because I was exhausted,” Sabrina Pedroza said. Sabrina Pedroza was able to overcome the challenges and competed in nine matches this season. Her weight class of 152 pounds was one of the two that included a female opponent from another school. “I won one against a girl so in the girl world, I’m undefeated,” Sabrina Pedroza said. The experience has proven to be an exceptional one, and all three members plan on returning for another season. “I was looking for a mental and physical challenge; wrestling was like the
solution to that,” Sabrina Pedroza said. The wrestlers encourage any potential female wrestlers to not be discouraged from the drastic female to male ratio on the current team. “The guys are really awesome and the coaches are amazing. If any girl wants to do it I would say do it, as long as she’s up for the challenge,” Sabrina Pedroza said. Wrestling has been an experience worth the effort, and all three would like to see more females invest in their passions and get involved. “My advice for any girls looking into wrestling is do not be hesitant. Challenge the status quo. Put your all in every day and it will be worth while. It also teaches discipline, which is good for working on character. Just believe that anything is possible,” Nicole Pedroza said.
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Wrestling Team Conquers Mooresville Regionals • Gunnar Larson won an individual championship • Asa Garcia, Nathan Conley, Jacob Clark and Brett Henson were runner-ups • Matt Cullen finished third, and Andrew Frank finished fourth • All seven wrestlers have advanced to semi-state in Evansville on Feb. 13
PAGE DESIGN BY PRIYA SHIELDS