As the girls shoulders hit the floor the pin is called and the match is won. It is always met with congrats and excitement, but this year is different. The girls all rush to congratulate as they all would do for eachother. They are all there to support one another, win or lose. The feeling is different after matches now, but in the best way possible, for there is a team of supporting friends and people all rooting for each other to do the very best they can. 

This year is the first that MCHS has a girls wrestling team. There have been female wrestlers prior to having a team, but this year there were enough females interested that a team was able to be formed after efforts to get girls interested. 

“We had a camp that featured Olympian Haley Augello and we tried to get as many girls to this event as possible. We ended up having about 60 girls from the surrounding area show up to this event,” said James Buss, the girls varsity wrestling head coach. “The next step was making sure that the school admin wanted to back it up and showing that after a summer that girls would want to wrestle for an entire year and not just for the one day camp.”

The brand new team has been very passionate and excited to be a part of the formation of the team. 

“It is a great feeling being part of something brand new for this school and as a growing sport. We as a whole team and organization is the beginning foundation for this sport’s future,” said Brianna Duran, a girls wrestler. “A lot of people doubted the team of it being any good, but that was our motivation to prove everyone wrong. We started our season beating Jacobs then going to a Waukegan tournament with 29 schools being there and getting the most pins as a team and getting first place.”

While there have been successful individual girl wrestlers, some of the accomplishments that have been made this season would not have been possible if the team had not existed.

“This season is different from the past because I am now only wrestling girls and practicing with them too so it is a whole new environment,” said Natalie Corona, a girls wrestler. “It’s  very nice to be going to tournaments with 20 girls and taking home the trophy. All these girls really put in the effort to come and join together as a team, and winning a championship and having a giant team cheering you on and running you over when you win is a great feeling.”

By having a girls team the wrestlers are now able to support each other and are more connected. The energy surrounding girls wrestling has become even higher since the formation of the team. 

“The season is going a lot better this year than previous years in that  we have a team that can bond together better and make the season more enjoyable,” said Addison Hodges, a girl wrestler. “The energy is incredibly high even on our bad days. We always keep each other focused and allow us to build off of each other.”

The girls dedication and excitement towards wrestling has created a very positive environment surrounding the team and one another. 

“The energy of the team is something that I have never seen or been a part of before,” said Buss. “This team is matside cheering on for their teammates and as soon as that person is done wrestling they are cheering them on because they won or lifting them up because they lost. This team is very eager to learn and are willing to try any of the drills that I put in front of them.”

The team’s energy has also been translating into success with their current  record being 4-2. They begin regionals Jan. 26 and 27, and sectionals will begin Feb. 9. The girls are hopeful for the upcoming tournaments, but they are only expected to do their best that they can at every match. 

This story was originally published on The McHenry Messenger on January 29, 2024.