Female Wrestler Shines Bright

By: Jack Lybarger

February 5, 2025

   Sophomore Zoe Wilson walked into the gym with confidence and ready to win her match. But in the back of her mind, she knew that the guy she was wrestling with would treat her differently than his normal competition just because she is a girl. 

   Wilson is one of the few female wrestlers on the team. As she only started in November, Wilson has already won two matches against her in the competition. Wilson does not just wrestle girls; she wrestles guys too. Even though she said that guys were harder to beat, she can still win against them.  

   “I think that I will gain a lot of technique from my coaches and progress by the end of the season,” Wilson said. 

   “Zoe wants to get better. She shows up to practice, she works hard,” said teammate Lilly Lucks ’28. 

   Wilson was talking about the difference between guys and girls in wrestling, then she states, “Women use more legs and flexibility; men use more upper body and stability,”  

   Alongside wrestling, Willson dances competitively and is in CFPA dance.  She initially started wrestling to improve her dancing.  

   Her schedule was already very busy with just dance and school, but after adding wrestling, Wilson is even more busy. Wllson’s daily schedule runs like this: waking up at 5:00 in the morning, going to school, going to wrestling practice right after school, and then straight to dance right after wrestling. Then, finally doing homework and ending the night at 12:00. 

   Before every match, Wilson likes to pray and listen to music. She also talks to her dad because he used to wrestle in middle school and high school. After each match, Lucks joins Wilson to go over what she could have done better, and what she did good.  

   Wilson likes having her mom at her matches because she said her mom screams and tells her to beat them. Wilson said her mom doesn't really know what is happening, so she just screams. Wilson is like her mother in a way because she has been described as “Outgoing, optimistic, loud," said by a teammate, because when she is cheering for our teammates, she is always the loudest.