On Jan 29, freshman Taylor Waddy made school history by being the first girl to win the 170 lb Wrestling State Championship. 

  Waddy started wrestling in 6th grade. Her passion first began when her brother wrestled at school and then came home and wrestled with her.

   It is not very popular for girls to wrestle. However, Waddy didn’t let the stereotype stop her. 

  “It was very weird at first but most of the time my teammates were supportive so it made it fun,” Waddy said. 

  Waddy winning States was not only a win for her, but a win for women wrestlers across Virginia. 

“There’s a big possibility that her winning States will show a lot of women it’s okay to participate in a sport that they’ve never done before,” Wrestling Coach Roger Stewart said. 

  Being a State Champion is a big accomplishment that takes dedication and hardwork. Waddy kept that in mind and continued to set her mind on one thing, becoming a State Champ. 

  “It felt really nice because I’ve been working really hard at it. It made a lot of my coaches happy,” Waddy said. 

  In order to prepare for States, Waddy had to concentrate during practice to set her up for success. 

  “She sticks to herself. She sits in the corner where she visualizes herself practicing, herself competing, her component; and she goes over her components strategies by looking at videos, and seeing what her opponent may or may not do,” Stewart said. 

  Waddy has already accomplished so much as a freshman, but she still looks to the future with goals in mind. 

  “I plan on finishing high school and if I’m not hurt then maybe wrestling in college and possibly even beyond that,” Waddy said. 

  Stewart said there’s a few things Waddy needs to keep in mind in order to be successful in the future. 

“[She needs to] be consistent, keep being her, and keep an open mind, knowing that it’s not the end of the world,” Stewart said. 

  With Waddy’s determination and Stewart’s encouragement as a coach, there’s no limit to how far Waddy can go.