ALLENDALE, Mich. — “We’re not scared, we want to wrestle the best of the best because that’s what we have to offer,” said Jake Short.
It’s been three years since Grand Valley announced the creation of their women’s wrestling team, and now they’re finally getting a chance to take the mat.
“I just love being around everyone and everyone works so hard. So I think it’s amazing that it’s growing so fast,” said Ryan Sahagun.
Rayana Sahagun started wrestling in Sparta as a little girl, now she represents GVSU on the first ever women’s wrestling team.
“I think everyone just seeing what we’re all about. Which is that we just work super hard and that we’re a positive and supportive team and that we’re going to be the best,” said Sahagun.
In their first meet last weekend, Rayanna beat the previous national champion in her weight class with two tech falls. Junior Hanna Palise started the meet with a bang, pinning her opponent in less than a minute and a half. They’re thrilled with how much success they’ve already had.
“Honestly it’s been so great. Everybody in the room brings their best energy every single day. We just wrestled last week at Stevens Point and it was a lot of peoples first time competing in over a year and they did awesome,” said Palise.
Women’s wrestling is still a relatively niche sport, although the numbers continue to grow each year. Both here in Michigan and across the country, there’s an increase in participation, and Head Coach Jake Short says that Grand Valley’s ability to invest in this program has helped him recruit the first class of Lakers.
“Being able to bring them into an institution like Grand Valley and being able to show off the resources that Grand Valley has really make it, I don’t want to say easier, but lighter as far as being able to say like this is what we have to offer, on top of our amazing education and our coaching staff. The way that we train and how we operate. So recruiting has been an absolute pleasure for this first year,” said Short.
The Lakers will host a home dual on Saturday, Nov. 16 in the field house.
Read more stories about Sports In Motion below:
