After a momentous debut season, the girls wrestling team found themselves headed to a district competition, and eventually a regional competition. What made this event even more remarkable was the fact that such a competition had never before been held in the state of Florida. With this year being the first for a girls wrestling team at the school, coupled with the first regional girls wrestling competition for the state, it is apparent that there is a lot in store for the sport.

The regional competition, which took place on Saturday, Feb. 19, was very busy. With several school teams gathered in one place and ready to face off against each other, tensions were high, as were hopes.

“There were about 200-something people in the gym itself, and four mats with matches on all four,” sophomore Madalyn Propst said. “You had to be up and ready to go at a moment’s notice. There were also a lot of injuries, some girls had to be carried off the mat. But overall it ran smoothly for the first girls regionals ever.”

Throughout their season leading up to regionals, the girls shared many experiences that helped them come together and grow as a team. Sticking together match after match, they bridged any differences between them to form a closeness that carried them through the season.

“My favorite part of the season was seeing myself not only grow as an athlete, but as a person, along with my teammates,” junior Marcela Maya Escalona said. “I honestly could not have made it without [them] at all. We may all be different weight classes, different backgrounds, different grades. We’re all together.”

Despite not advancing to the state level, the team gained a lot from attending the competition. 

“It was great,” Propst said. “Even though we didn’t place, it was still a great experience and I learned a lot for next season.”

With growing opportunities arising for female wrestling, future seasons will look back on this competition as a trailblazing moment for the sport and the team. 

“I felt like I was a part of history, honestly,” Escalona said. “I felt like this is something that will be looked back on in the future, and I’ll be able to say, ‘I was there, I was a part of that, I was making history’.”