The addition of a girls’ wrestling program has added another chance for students to compete in winter sports. The team recently signed up for the Cumberland Valley Girls’ Wrestling Tournament, and one of our athletes won a medal. Sophomore Jahzari Abney won third place in the competition.

The dictionary defines wrestling as “the sport or activity of grappling with an opponent and trying to throw or hold them down on the ground, typically according to a code of rules.” Due to the variety of techniques used both on the participant and their opponent, including joint locks, pins, throws, and takedowns, the participant must train and practice in order to effectively defeat their opponents.

“I felt amazed, surprised, and honored when I won and earned my spot in third place,” Abney said. “My confidence was a bit low because there were way better wrestlers than me in my weight group.”

However, even though she wasn’t very confident, Abney certainly was hoping to be successful during the tournament, saying, “I expected to get 1st place, but since I lost one of my matches it placed me back into the losers bracket… I had to get back up and at least get 3rd place.” She had a very reasonable explanation for her lack of confidence, too: “It was very challenging to defeat my opponents because they were stronger and had more stamina than me.”

In regards to other people wishing to learn how to wrestle and join tournaments, Abney said that the best thing they could do for themselves is to, “never give up, and keep pushing through the season.” She added that, “though you may lose at times, they will allow you to learn even more, helping to bring victory.”