Menlo-Atherton teams have enjoyed plenty of success in the Peninsula Athletic League. Having won eight of the last nine PAL Commissioner’s Cups — an award based largely on excellence in athletics — the school has added yet another up-and-coming team to its dominant sports program.
The M-A girls’ wrestling team is proving something of an overnight sensation. Last year, the Bears were nowhere near fielding a girls’ team, with just one girls’ wrestler in the mix. This year, however, under second-year head coach Paul Huong, M-A has seen that number spike to 15 girls’ wrestlers.
“It required a lot of work,” Huong said. “We did all sorts of things. I talked to parents. I went around campus and talked to kids. We even got these brilliant soccer players and they have personalities that are bigger than the school. I think that helped recruit.”
With its one returner Chelsea Wilson leading M-A as the team captain, the team is setting its sights high. Wilson is as strong a foundation as any upon which to build a powerhouse program. Currently ranked No. 1 in the Central Coast Section in the 106-pound division, the junior has won all but one individual match this season.
“I’m crossing my fingers, but we’re hoping with the talent and the size of our team this year, we can finish top five in CCS,” Huong said. “To go to top five from not even on the radar, that would be remarkable.”
Wilson — who opted not to compete last week while taking SATs — had to battle back from a serious injury at the end of last season. While she earned the individual state championship for 106s, advancing to nationals, she separated her shoulder and spent much of the offseason rehabbing.
Recommended for you
This season, however, she hasn’t missed a beat. Her most recent success came two weeks ago at the Napa Valley Classic, one of the most prestigious tournaments of the season in Northern California. Wilson took first place — not yielding a point through five victories — including a 5-0 win in the championship match over standout Victoria Borrego, a sophomore out of last year’s CCS girls’ team champion Terra Nova.
“[Wilson] has come back full circle and she’s really recovering,” Hoang said. “She’s only lost one match this year and so she’s really getting her bearings.”
Unlike last year though, Wilson is far from a one-woman show. M-A boasts one other No. 1 ranking in CCS in Fola Akilnola in the 160-pound division. A freshman, Akilnola moved up to 170s to capture tournament titles at the Overfelt Lady Royals and the Castro Valley Girls Classic.
M-A also has Evelyn Calhoon ranked No. 6 in CCS at 121s and Livienna Lie ranked No. 4 at 235s.
“We have a surprisingly well-rounded team this year,” Huong said.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.