There’s no shame in placing at the state level in wrestling. Those who follow the sport closely know exactly how hard it is to make it to the state finals, let alone win at the state tournament to get a medal placed around your neck. And for the first time in two years, Wawasee claims a podium spot on the sport’s biggest stage.

Alex Garcia becomes the latest name in the illustrious lore of Wawasee wrestling to place at the state finals. Her eighth place finish Friday at the IHSGW State Finals is historical in more than just the general sense of state placement, but is the highest-ever finish for a Wawasee girls wrestler in the program’s history.

Garcia literally is setting the bar for girls wrestling achievement.

“Ninety-five percent of the season was painful, tough, draining, but the other five percent was an amazing feeling of accomplishment and joy that allowed me to power through and enjoy wrestling,” said Garcia following her state finals tournament experience.

Garcia became the first girl to win a regional championship last weekend at the Penn Regional, taking the 160-pound championship after pinning all three of her opponents, and became the 28th regional champion in Wawasee history. At Mooresville for the State Finals on Friday, Garcia opened her day with another pin, flattening Madison’s Jasmine Mireles at the 2:50 mark to earn the spot in the podium rounds. Garcia actually trailed 2-0 in the match early on after a Mireles takedown, but reversed her way into control to tie the match. Garcia started on top to begin the second, and worked Mireles into submission to move on.

Garcia’s championship run would end 1:40 into the quarterfinals when Tri-Central’s Samara Clowers-Mire pinned Garcia. Garcia would go on to lose via pin to Vigo’s Sadie Osburn and to Merrillville’s Amiria Galburth, 7-4, in her final match of the season.

“It was a good experience to try new things, you never know what you can be good at,” summarized Garcia.

Jay County’s Mallory Winner was true to her name in the 160 bracket, edging out Rochester’s Grace Hiroms in the final, 2-1, to claim honors.

There were a handful of girls from the area that competed on Friday. In addition to Garcia, Elkhart’s Genesis Ramirez finished fifth at 98, NorthWood’s Naima Ghaffar placed sixth at 113, and Rochester’s Lucy Rangel was fifth at 120, Jaydn Geller was second at 126. Penn had a huge run from there, starting with Heidi Solis placing fifth at 132, Janiah Juarez eighth at 152, Kenzie Konanz was the champion at 170, Madison Hazeltine was fourth and Nunu Helepa seventh at 182, Giuliana Reed was fifth and Gabby Safeukui seventh at 195, and Jezel Guerrero take fifth at 250. Of other note, Fort Wayne Snider’s Julianna Ocampo, who made history in December by becoming the first female champion at the Al Smith, went on and won the 106 weight class championship Friday to add to her accomplishments.