The fastest-growing sport in 2025 was Girls Wrestling, jumping from 1,000 participants in 2022 to 4,000 in the 25/26 season according to the National Federation of State High School. The activity came to the high school in 2020 and started the program with only five girls. By the 22/23 season, the team had grown to 11 people. Marion had never had a female wrestler make it past the first round in the school’s history until now.
Cadence Pastor, junior, qualified for State this year and had high hopes. Pastor had mentioned that wrestling is known for causing eating disorders and resulting in bad mental health, but this is not a problem if it is done right. She believes the high school coaches help, but they are more focused on new or struggling wrestlers. Her club coaches have helped her out a lot, and they are able to give her specific things to work on, such as watching films and getting extra pointers.
On the first day of State wrestling, the athletes had to win two matches to participate the next day. Pastor’s second match of day one was tied 3-3, and they went into overtime, also known as “Sudden Death.” During this time, Pastor completed a take-down, but the opposing team argued the call, saying she did not have her foot inside the circle. At State wrestling, they have two referees to provide multiple angles on situations like this one. Pastor ended up having her foot in the circle, so the call wasn’t reversed, and she got the three points. When the match ended, she felt relieved and empowered, and her coaches were more than happy for her. “All the girls there that made it to the second day aren’t here because of some fluke; it’s all of the hard work paying off,” said Pastor.
The hardest part of wrestling isn’t the wrestling part; it’s the mental aspect. Pastor’s hardest mental block to overcome was the pressure she puts on herself. “I would put so much pressure on myself before matches that didn’t even matter,” said Pastor. Her coaches told her that she needed to wrestle hard, not let the nerves overcome her, use the excitement in her body, and take it out during the match.
Pastor achieved over 100 wins this year, and that kept her positive and motivated her to do more. At the beginning of the season, they had a team of 20 girls, and by the end, they had only 14. “Wrestling is hard; a lot of people don’t have this type of drive to put themselves out there,” said Pastor. She advises anyone who is willing to step out of their comfort zone and is also willing to put themselves out there to go out next season. Having more female place holders in the future would be great for helping the sport grow. Pastor mentions how she would love to wrestle in college, but the university would have to be a program that she would enjoy, as for now, she has no colleges in mind, but she wants to attend and possibly wrestle. This season might’ve ended a little short for Pastor, but she’s trying just as hard, if not harder, next season.
