With 14 weight classes needing to be filled, the Wakefield girls wrestling program will have options as they'll bring in a group of 16 this season.
Head coach Luke Walsh will be entering his fourth year as the head coach and fifth coaching overall.
"A few girls went on their own to camps and we’ve had open mat at the school for the girls to go to," said Walsh. "A lot of the girls have been coming to open mat, but haven't had the entire team there all at once."
Joining coach Walsh on the girls side will be Jolene Trumble and Michaela Beaty as returning assistant coaches. Jeremiah Chase will lead the Wakefield boys.
Among the 16 girls out, Mayte Flores, Yami Gomez and Evelyn Chavez will be the seniors. All but three on the team return with wrestling experience.
Week one of NSAA winter sport practices began on Nov. 17. The Wakefield girls addressed the fundamentals before moving into advanced moves.
The Trojans sent six girls to the heartbreak round with one advancing to state. Their goal this year is to have all of those girls advance to Omaha along with others improving to that point.
"Last year we emphasized not giving up during a match and giving 100% the entire time," said Walsh. "The girls did that. Now, we're looking for more of the same."
Wakefield lost only one girl due to graduation and will need to fill the heavyweight spot. Another key loss was from a co-captain moving prior to the start of the season.
Coach Walsh will be looking for another person to step into that leadership role.
"Naomi Nelson was our state qualifier," said Walsh. "Looking for our leaders to set a good example on effort, attitude, grades and sportsmanship. The newcomer that stands out the most is Arianna. In her first year wrestling last year (eighth grade) she went undefeated (11-0)".
Additional improvements from the coaching staff include better techniques with some flaws in their moves.
Senior Mayte Flores Garcia is planning on wrestling at 130 this season. She first started her wrestling journey in seventh grade.
"Personally I have been focusing on cutting healthily," said Flores Garcia. "I have also been working through an injury to ensure I have a healthy and happy season."
Along with some preseason open mat times available for the girls, these opportunities have been beneficial to new teammates starting the sport for the first time.
"The first week definitely showed the commitment and dedication the team has to improve from the previous season," said Flores Garcia. "I was able to learn patience with new teammates joining for the first time, allowing me to slow down and really focus on my technique."
A big goal the Wakefield girls are towards is being resilient.
They want to focus and celebrate growth on the mat and through their mindsets. Over the course of the season, the Trojans also want to see plenty of teamwork to continue to push each other.
"Even though you win as an individual in wrestling," said Flores Garcia. "It's important to recognize your team has been behind you every step of the way."
Flores Garcia is most excited about getting back on the mat with her team.
"We have lots of great girls with so much potential going out this year so I am super excited to see how we compete," said Flores Garcia. "The first competition always gives us a baseline so it will be great to see the improvements we make throughout the season."
The Wakefield girls wrestlers will begin the year with the Tekamah-Herman girls wrestling quad on Dec. 4 starting at 6 p.m.
Coach Walsh will be looking for the Wakefield girls to get into the wrestling mindset and continue to get physically and mentally ready.
"A quad to start the season is the perfect opportunity to show the coaches, fans and yourself what you're about," said Walsh. "You're not there at an all day event and it's not one and done like a dual."
Two home contests will be on the schedule for the Trojan girls. They include hosting NEN (Wisner-Pilger/Pender) on Dec. 8 for a dual along with entertaining Wayne and Winnebago on Jan. 5 during a triangular.
"Come to our events, support the girls," said Walsh. "There's a girl in almost every weight class so there's always going to be someone to watch."
Mayte Flores Garcia would also like to say thank you to all the wonderful supporters in the community of Wakefield.
"Wakefield girls wrestling has grown so much, almost tripling from the first ever season," said Flores Garcia. "It has been so amazing to see the increase in interest in girls wrestling which could only be made possible by the immense support we receive from our families and fans."
