At Sequoia High School’s small gym everyone on the wrestling team is getting ready for winter competition. The coaches lead them, the boys act on the orders and the girls defy stereotypes each and every time they hit the mat.
There seems to be an upward trend in place on the Cherokee campus. Two seasons ago, Francesca Lampert became the first girl among the guys, Last year four girls took on the challenge. Now that number is only continuing to grow.
“As a girl wrestler in some ways you’re admired,” Marachel Leib said. “It takes a lot of energy and strength to wrestle, and for a girl to do it, it’s cool.”
Leib is in her second year on the team and now has the privilege of helping the new girls as she watches them learn and grow in the sport just as she did a year ago.
“At first [wrestling] is kind of strange but then again most every sport is strange when you first start,” Leib said.
Leib and the rest of the girls are being held to a high standard as graduated senior Brianna Carroll placed third in CCS last year in her first year participating in the sport. The Carroll name is still present, however, with Briana’s younger brother Conor still on the squad.
“Having girls on the wrestling team is awesome,” Conor said. “You really have to respect them because it takes a lot of guts to go out of your comfort zone and try something new, especially a primarily male sport. Wrestling is such a valuable sport to life. By not doing it, you're doing yourself a disservice, whether you are male or female.”
The roster now totals 51, up around 20 athletes from last season. It’s evident that coach John Peavler, a Sequoia grad, must be doing something right.
“We simply make it fun for the kids and treat them with respect,” Peavler said. “We keep practices lighthearted yet extremely rigorous. I feel that we've created an environment where the kids truly feel like they are part of something special.”
On the team, there seems to be no fine line or division based on gender. They are not merely partners or teammates. They are more like family.
“I’ve never had brothers before,” Leib said. “But after wrestling, I have a ton of them.”
