Bexley often leads the charge of equality and progression, and our middle school and high school wrestling teams are no different. One notable difference in the last few years: girls! “Ohio officially sanctioned girls wrestling last year, and at the 2023 OHSAA State Tournament, for the first time, girls competed against girls in one division at the Schottenstein Center. It was a great moment for the sport in Ohio,” HS Assistant Coach Zander Garcia explains. Middle School Coach Jason Black adds, “I keep hearing that girls wrestling is the fastest growing sport in America and that is great for the sport.” As much as they want to encourage girls to enter the “oldest and greatest sport” as Zander describes it, there are several talented boys who’ve poured their hearts and souls into wrestling for years as well. Seth Preisler, High School Assistant wrestling coach, said “Wrestlers are a close, tight-knit, special breed. They go through the toughest, most demanding practices, only able to get through it with the support of their teammates. Though they compete alone in the most intense competition, they each know what it takes to get there.” Bexley had a historically successful District Tournament where the team finished 10th in the toughest Division 2 district in the state. Three Bexley competitors, Marius Garcia, Anthony LaVerdiere, and Muhammad Jallaq, are headed to States at the Schottenstein Center on March 8th.

Marius’s dad, Zander wrestled at Columbus Academy and the Naval Academy and had him wrestling at an early age. Marius says, “I have been on the Ohio national team and I was a state qualifier last year. I plan to win the state tournament this year. I love wrestling because everything that happens out on the mat is based off the effort given in training. I would say the biggest challenges are managing my nerves, taking care of my body and managing my weight. To anyone who is interested in wrestling I would say that it is the best way to build character, discipline and to stay in good shape. It also is very rewarding and everything you do is earned.” Marius finished his season with a 51-0 perfect record was the ONLY perfect record for Boys Wrestling for all weight classes and all divisions by the end of the tournament.

Skylah is one of two girls on the Middle School wrestling team, and a fearless leader who proves that girls can excel in any sport. To her, being a female wrestler is scary and fun all at the same time because “you never know what to expect,” she shares. Her advice for younger girls interested in wrestling? “Even though you’re a girl, never let a boy take you down. Keep trying and don’t be scared because if you show weakness, you will lose, but if you show confidence you will win! Wrestling is definitely a hard sport so if you’re joining it just for fun be prepared for the hard work you get everyday.” Her favorite wrestling memory so far was winning the first two matches of the year.

Kandace joined the wrestling team because her older sister, Kelise, was the first girl on the team in 2022. After her siblings, Julius and Jaila joined, Kandance kept the tradition going. “Being a girl wrestler is great! But challenging at the same time. From my perspective, the only reason wrestling was a bit difficult for me was due to the fact that I was the only girl on the high school team and had to practice with boys that were stronger than me, or even more skilled. However, fortunately for me, there were also 2 girls who joined the middle school wrestling team. I was able to work with them for the rest of the season” Kandace says. “It’s actually really fun, my team is really helpful, and kind to me. They make me love the sport even more! I also like going against other people and winning matches. It makes me feel good and tough!”

Celeste began wrestling during her senior year of high school at Bexley and has continued the sport on scholarship at Indiana Tech, opening doors that she never expected. She says “I love being a female wrestler. It’s something new and different, it really challenges society’s social standards of being the simple and perfect ‘girl’. Of course, there were hurdles I had to overcome being a female wrestler in a male dominated sport.” Celeste has great things to say about her coaches and teammates and expressed gratitude to them for the ways in which they have helped her develop as a person and competitor. She often spends time at home helping the team and does graphic design (like Marius’s photo).

Muhammad is a remarkable wrestler who was first introduced to the sport by his brother, and later decided to pursue it himself in middle school. Reflecting on his early experiences as a now high school wrestler, Muhammad remembers a pivotal moment that took place in seventh grade: “We were at our league tournament and I had a big match that day. I came out on top and the support of the team and joy when we won our first league tournament was electric. It was one of the first times in my athletic career I was truly proud of what my teammates and I had accomplished. I feel like this is when my spark for wrestling began.”

The Bexley wrestling program is led by HS Head Coach Chris Bragg, HS Assistant Coaches Seth Preisler, George Poulos, Zander Garcia, MS Head Coach Jason Black, and MS Assistant Coaches Derek Cain and Troy Swendal. The boys program has been in existence since 1957. They’ve had 21 state qualifiers, 10 state placers, and one state champion in 1985. Let’s make it two this year!