South Salem High School’s Alexis Rojas ’23 emerges victorious from her wrestling match against an opponent from McNary High School. Photo taken by Samantha Osmus
As winter approaches the time to enroll for winter sports is here. Women’s wrestling enrollment has opened up for the 2023-2024 season for any girls who are interested. Women’s wrestling is quickly growing throughout high schools and colleges are looking for student-athletes that have a passion for wrestling and do well academically.
As of April 2023, the OSAA unanimously approved making girls wrestling an officially sanctioned sport for the 2023-2024 school year. Wrestling can bring many opportunities in life, such as meeting new people and teaching life-long skills.
“I have been wrestling all my life, one of the things I love about the sport is that it allows you to test your true self and become the best version of yourself. Wrestling is more than just physical, it is a mental and emotional sport that brings out the best in people. Wrestling has taught me life lessons, given me a family and helped me find meaning and guidance at a time in my youth when I needed it. I coach to be a positive mentor, teach life lessons through sport, and pass on the world’s oldest and hardest sporting endeavor to the next generation,” Wrestling Coach Joseph-Daniel Boyd said.
Taya Stovall ‘27 is going into her third year of wrestling, with this being her first year at South.
“I decided to join wrestling because it seemed fun, also the wrestling team seemed like an accepting group of people.” Stovall said.
Information about women’s wrestling is available by contacting Boyd_joseph-daniel@salemkeizer.k12.or.us or by visiting room #284
