Whatever you may have thought about the first season of organized high school wrestling as an outsider, most everyone on the inside had a similar feeling. The sport is growing, the girls are far more competitive than anyone expected, and the girls are here to stay.

As year two of the ’emerging’ process unfolds, girls wrestling was a huge hit in its first season, and Wawasee was part of that success. The Lady Warriors had one of its seven, Alex Garcia, qualify for the IHSGW State Finals.

Heading into the first weekend of this year’s regular season, Wawasee returns six of those seven, but have a staggering 15 now in the wrestling room as nine have joined in what is their rookie campaigns.

“We had six return, but our numbers are now at 15, which is a pleasant surprise,” said Wawasee girls head coach Miguel Rodriguez. “That’s a lot of new faces, and six have no wrestling experience. They are picking things up real quick, and making our team really competitive. It’s been fun to see our numbers more than double and see this thing continue to grow.”

Of those returning, all of them had a level of success a season ago. Garcia was the brightest star at the end of her season, one which was her first-ever year in organized wrestling. Taking eighth at the state finals at 160, Garcia was also a Penn Regional champion en route to the state.

Three seniors – Brooke Catron, Ciara Rodriguez and Dez Vetor – all return as mat leaders, Catron and Rodriguez both finding weight class rankings a season ago among their season résumés and both were a match away at regionals from making the state round.

Sophomores Kenidi Nine and Rylin Vanlaningham are the other two returners. Nine was also on the cusp of a state berth before running into a gauntlet of talent in the 145-pound class bracket.

As the 2023-24 season gets underway this weekend with the East Noble Girls Invite, Rodriguez split some of his views of expectation with those who are returning versus those who are new.

“Last year we were 15th as a team there,” began Rodriguez. “This year we will do way better. I would anticipate top five this year with the returners we have, great athletes and wrestlers, and now they are passing the torch to these new wrestlers we have. I feel like we’ll have a lot of eyes on us, especially if we have a big weekend. We have the ability to be a top contender in the state. I really believe that.”

That leaves a lot of excitement, as well, for the new girls in the wrestling room. Some of the last names should be familiar to the Wawasee wrestling and athletics families, like freshmen Karlee Clevenger and Tiana Senders, sisters Naviya and Cyanna Leon, and junior Isabel Schwartz.

While the jury is still out on what the newcomers will do in their first seasons at the high school level, Rodriguez and new assistant coach Heather deSomer have noticed there’s no shortage of talent.

“With the numbers at 15, I can’t have my eyes and attention on every single one,” Rodriguez said. “Having girls coming back who know what they are doing, it allows us to expand what we do at practice. How we drill and condition. It’s huge for us.”

Competition at East Noble begins approximately 9 a.m.