Balers return from girls’ tournament
Believe it or not, San Benito High wrestlers Angelica Banuelos
and Jennifer Espinoza say it’s easier to wrestle against male
opponents than it is to wrestle fellow females.
Take that, fellas.
Balers return from girls’ tournament
Believe it or not, San Benito High wrestlers Angelica Banuelos and Jennifer Espinoza say it’s easier to wrestle against male opponents than it is to wrestle fellow females.
Take that, fellas.
Wrestling against male opponents for much of the season, though, the two Haybalers traveled to Hanford West High School last weekend and competed in the California Girls Invitational, the unofficial state high school wrestling tournament for females.
Although not sanctioned by the California Interscholastic Federation, more than 500 girls representing approximately 200 high schools took to the mat for state supremacy, nonetheless.
“I thought it was intimidating,” Espinoza said. “It was my first girl tournament, so I was nervous. And when I got out there, it was kind of easy.
“But I thought the guys are easier than the girls to beat.”
Banuelos held a similar sentiment.
“Everyone gets shocked about that,” she said. “But when you wrestle a girl, you’re totally matched equally.”
Whereas when wrestling a male, it’s either one extreme or the other: She overpowers him or he overpowers her.
“It’s a totally different experience,” Banuelos said, “but it’s way easier with a guy.”
Although neither Banuelos nor Espinoza placed at the state meet, junior varsity head coach Matt Flores said it was a great opportunity for the two grapplers to display their ability at a prestigious all-girls tournament.
“They did really well,” Flores said. “I think it was pretty good for them to showcase their skills wrestling against other girls since they wrestle against boys most of the time.”
Banuelos went 1-2 at 119 pounds and Espinoza finished 2-2 at 105 pounds, one round short of placing, Flores said.
While Espinoza, a freshman, was new to the all-girl format, the senior Banuelos actually wrestled the previous weekend at the Lee Allen Women’s Invitational in Oakland.
She finished in second place at 119 pounds.
Banuelos and Espinoza are just two of seven girls on San Benito’s wrestling team, though, along with Izadela Meza, Joy Thomson, Andrea Gonzalez, Patricia Herrera and Jackie Visaya.
As many as 5,000 high school females nationwide participated in wrestling in 2006-07 (a number that tripled from the previous 10 years), according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
And last weekend’s unofficial state tournament in Hanford was announced as the largest girls tournament in the nation at this point, Flores said.
Banuelos, who said next year’s state tournament will be limited only to those who qualify, said she was actually “dared” into the sport while attending middle school in San Jose.
“And I just liked it,” Banuelos said. “The intensity of it and the fact that it’s a solo sport. It’s a team sport, but if you fail, you can’t blame anyone else.”
Espinoza has been wrestling for three years and got involved in the sport along with her brother Nikko Espinoza, who currently wrestles on the varsity team.
“He liked it and I liked it,” Espinoza said. “The intensity and that you could beat a guy … And as a girl, you have to use more strength and be competitive.”
