This past winter sports season has marked a rather positive change in pace for the CHS wrestling team. Not only did the team manage to end their 10 year losing streak, but they also sent nine members of the boys team and one member of the girls team to CIF. Two wrestlers, senior Victor Mora and sophomore Citlamina Mejia, advanced further to the Masters Tournament. However, the greatest success of this season was seen in the performance of Mejia, who made CHS athletic history by achieving 16th to 13th place at the California State Wrestling Championships.
Mejia’s performance throughout the season has been phenomenal with numerous victories at weekend tournaments and weekly league matches. She took this momentum further at the CIF Girls’ Qualifier Tournament and won first place. Mejia’s success certainly did not stop there; she quickly took eighth place at the Masters Tournament. With such a victory, she was able to advance to the Girls’ State Championships, making her the only female wrestler in CHS history to do so. Although Mejia lost her first match at State, she continued to wrestle, winning her matches until she was finally eliminated.
“From the two or more hour waits in between matches to the lack of hostility amongst my fellow competitors, competing in State was unlike any wrestling event I’ve ever attended,” Mejia said. “It wasn’t just about winning or taking home a medal, but being able to really experience the sport and appreciate the beauty in it. I’m glad to say I left the tournament having gained a new sense of what wrestling really is and a couple new friends.”
Mejia showed great promise last year; however, she unfortunately broke her ankle only one week before the CIF Girls’ Qualifier Tournament. Yet, she was not willing to let a rather untimely injury get in the way of her wrestling ambitions. Once she had fully recovered, she spent her time practicing with her teammates in both the weight room and wrestling room, making sure that she was prepared for what was to come during the following season. Quite surely, such patience and perseverance had paid off, with Mejia setting a historic precedent for the CHS Girls’ Wrestling Program.
Wrestling coach Gerald Escalante attributes Mina’s success to her intense determination whenever she stepped on the mat.
“[Mejia] was absolutely determined,” Escalante said. “Even when she was put in bad situations on the mat, she would always find a way to fight out of it and get the upper hand against her opponent.”
With Mejia achieving such an impressive triumph during only her sophomore year, there is absolutely no doubt that she will continue to perform exceptionally during her remaining years in high school. With her coaches’ help, she is absolutely determined to repeat this success and possibly attain a higher ranking in the years that follow.