Stepping onto the mat, her mind rotates through the positions. She’s been training diligently: weight cutting, practicing twice a day and being a role model for younger wrestlers.

In under five minutes, it’s over. It’s confirmed now: her hard work hasn’t gone to waste, and she could be the state champion.

Junior Annalisa Afrifa is ranked No. 4 in Texas for the 165 lb. weight bracket this season. As a sophomore, she placed first in regionals and second in state. Alongside her rankings, she competed nationally and won awards for individual and club competitions.

“I wrestle because it’s part of who I am,” Annalisa said. “It [feels] like something is missing when I go a day without it.”

Growing up in San Diego, Annalisa said she’s always been athletic. She competed in track cross country and played for her middle school’s basketball team. In ninth grade, she moved to Texas. After breaking her ankle playing basketball, she took a break from sports her freshman year.

“I’ve been in sports my whole life,” Annalisa said. “When I broke my ankle, it was hard to find things to do that I enjoyed. My whole life and schedule revolved around sports, [but] I’m glad it happened because it gave me time to think and get into wrestling.”

During her freshman year, Annalisa met junior Jady Camacho in orchestra. After finding out one of their male classmates was on the wrestling team, Camacho introduced the idea of joining the girls wrestling team to Annalisa.

“Annalisa was very shy [when I met her,]” Camacho said. “But wrestling and being on the team has made her more bubbly. She stands out more; she’s fierce. She’s always been very strong, [so] it was no surprise that she picked up wrestling quickly.”

Annalisa joined the varsity wrestling team in her sophomore year. Because it was the girls’ team’s first year, they practiced with the JV boys team. Analisa won 12 matches and lost 12 matches in her first year. She said she primarily focused on learning the basics and getting comfortable on the mat.

“Wrestling, especially in your first year, takes a toll on your body,” Annalisa said. “It’s a [physically] demanding and individualistic sport. There’s only so much a coach can help you with — I just had to go through the motions and figure out what works.”

To get more comfortable on the mat, Annalisa fought on the wrestling club Team Texas. After placing in state her sophomore year, her team went on to compete nationally and placed seventh out of 30 teams nationally.

“The match for first place at state was emotionally difficult,” Annalisa said. “I had been first, but the girl I was competing against [ultimately] won. [This year,] I placed higher than her in a tournament, so I feel [as though] I could’ve won.”

This year, Annalisa is one of two captains on the girls team and has won all but one match at the Texas Women’s Classic. Head coach Maria Mulero said that she inspires the younger teammates to not be afraid of a loss on the mat.

“I believe she’s going to be Hebron’s first girls wrestling state champion,” Mulero said. “She manages her time and prioritizes wrestling. She has the mentality: ‘I’m going to go in [to a match,] work on these specific things, and use [the match] as an opportunity to improve.’”

Annalisa plans to continue wrestling in college. She said her dream is to wrestle at the University of Iowa. Annalisa will compete in the district tournament on Jan. 30 at Marcus High School.

“My first year at state was to see where I was progress-wise,” Annalisa said. “It is my best memory [wrestling] because I didn’t expect to [place second]. I believe I can [place] first in the state this year.”

This story was originally published on The Hawk Eye on January 27, 2025.