Her shoulders are flat down on the mat..2..1.. and it’s a pin! The match is called to signal the end, but Lady Herd Wrestling is just getting started. For the past three years since the creation of Lady Herd Wrestling in 2021, the program has been very successful with state qualifiers every year, and they hope to continue their streak this season.
With states as the common goal for many girls, they are thrilled for the upcoming season.
“I’m so excited! This season is going to be amazing!” says Averie Redding, sophomore wrestler for CHS.
She’s not the only one ready for this season. Sophomore Abigail Stevens and junior Rylie Short, two big commitments on the girls’ team, are also ready to get back on the mat this year.
“I feel this season will be a very good one, and we will have a lot of improvement compared to last year,” says Stevens about how she feels about the upcoming winter.
She was just short of states the previous year as a freshman, but it’s clear she intends to make the big stage this time around. Short also expresses her excitement, feeling “more confident and ready to prove myself.” She has worked hard in the off-season, going to numerous camps and tournaments plus getting in the weight room as much as she can. She wants to demonstrate to everyone “that when you put your heart into something and really focus on it, you can achieve it!”
Of course, as much as there’s no ‘I’ team, there’s no team at all without a coach. Coach Vincent Anceravage, or coach Vinny to the girls, has a lot in store for the Lady Herd. He has been coaching wrestling for a total of 14 impressive years and has been with the girls’ wrestling program since its establishment. Coach Vinny plans to make this a greater season than the last, and that involves a change in the training schedule.
“We have incorporated a strength and conditioning circuit training to make sure the girls stay strong and physically capable of wrestling upwards of an eight-minute match.”
Coach Vinny hopes this increase in strength training lessens the amount of injuries in the high-contact sport. The Lady Herd must be prepared for the five tournaments and seven dual meets he has planned for them this upcoming winter, and his practice schedule will bring them one step closer to achieving a victorious season.
Coach Joe Wilson, who helps with the girls and has been coaching boys’ wrestling at Carlisle for nineteen years, also expects a large amount from the Lady Herd. Coach Wilson remarks they’re “gonna stick with what’s working” and “keep doin’ what we’re doin’.”
With all the hard work being put into this winter season, it will be worth your while to watch these wrestlers do what they do best. Come support the girls at their next match away against Waynesboro on January 29 at 6:00pm!
