Attending the boys' CIF Masters competition at Olympian High Fri., Feb. 20, with the Vikings' three qualifiers and others, 115-pound senior Grace Roman shared with Coach Emeritus Walter Fairley, Jr., "I was told I am the first wrestler (boy or girl) in the history of La Jolla High to win my weight class at the division finals" (which she did two weeks before).
Fairley was listening, and affirming, as he sat with Grace and other members of the La Jolla group who had made the trip to the South Bay.
Roman continued: "I wish it had been harder, though," she said. There were five other competitors in her weight class at the Division 4 finals.
Fairley, always the coach, always the teacher, responded. "It was a great accomplishment," he said. She didn't need to apologize for winning her weight class and qualifying for girls Masters Feb. 21 at Eastlake High.
To put the record into perspective, La Jolla High was founded in 1922. Early records aren't known, but some wrestling stalwarts' names have come up, particularly through the Holtville Annual Rotary Invitational, which publishes the top-six finishers in each weight class each year in its program.
Paul Schon, said to be the last Viking to go to the state meet (this coming weekend, Feb. 27-28), and his brother Dan were top-six placers at Holtville from 2000-2003 (Paul at 147 and 162, Dan at 152 and 163).
A more recent name in Viking annals, Elliot Austin (this reporter saw his bouts), won at 128 pounds at Holtville in 2017-18. Others who never won their division's weight class include Wade Green (277 pounds), a Holtville top-six back-to-back winner in 1998-99; Matt Legler (153 and 162), 1997-98; Miki Kunitake (103 and 122) and Naiche Kennedy (275 and heavyweight), both in 1994-95. Holtville only publishes records back to 1992; the tourney started in 1964.
At this point in girls' wrestling, the numbers are still lower, as the sport gains in popularity and one girl talks to another girl, and they both become workout partners and give other girls the courage to go out for wrestling.
It's not bad to be physical. As senior Maddie Quach learned to get over the hump this season, "I choose violence--within the legal limits" of the sport. Associate head coach Kellen Delaney "leaned into that" with her, and Quach qualified for the Masters meet as well to top off her high school career.
It is fine for a girl to be aggressive and excel in wrestling. She can still be a girl and keep her femininity.
No comments:
Post a Comment