MONETA, Va. – Staunton River wrestling and the word “consistent” go together like glue. The program is known for advancing wrestlers to the state meet each year as guys hope to make history.
Now hard at work in Moneta are a special group of girls ready to write “herstory.”
“We’re really just giving these girls an opportunity to get in there and do something they love.”
What was once just a club is now a full girl’s wrestling team with nearly 20 members – many of them have their own unique interest in the sport.
“When I was little, my dad and brothers had been wrestling since 6 years old so I always wanted to do it,” said Staunton River junior Alexis Ice. She’s now ranked among the best in the state of Virginia.
“I’m a cheerleader so I didn’t expect this,” said Abigael Mills. “I expected to show up and leave the next day and say, ‘Hey I tried this.’”
But instead, Abigael and her teammates have taken a strong liking to the mats – learning to grapple with more than just their opponents but the stereotypes as well.
“Sometimes if you have to wrestle up or something like that it can be intimidating or just the sport in general sometimes,” said Staunton River freshman Lila Knight.
Keeping these girls physically and mentally strong are Lila’s parents Johnathan and Jenna Knight. The couple has an extensive background not only in wrestling, but both are black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They recently moved to the area with their two children who also wrestle.
“Everyone welcomed us right in and we saw real quickly how good and strong the Staunton River program is,” Johnathan said.
“It’s been great,” said Jenna. “We both bring something really exciting to the mat and the girls have been great. They’ve been fun to work with and I feel like a coach-mom at times.”
All the hard work being put in on the mats will not go in vain. The VHSL will hold its first-ever all-girls state wrestling meet at the end of the month--another milestone Staunton River hopes to be part of.
“It’s going to be officially sanctioned next year and it’s a growing sport,” said Lila.
“It’s going to keep growing and we’ll get a lot more progress,” added Alexis Ice.