The girls’ side of the Herricks High School wrestling team brought home a first-place medal from the Nassau County Girls’ Wrestling Tournament on Feb. 1.
“This girls’ All-County tournament was truly an unforgettable experience,” Ayasophia Abdrabo, who won for her weight class, said. “The sense of relief but shock I felt when I won All-County Champ is something I will never forget.”
Abdrabo, a sophomore, will compete in Albany in the state-wide tournament later this month.
She said that she is grateful for the work that her coaches and teammates have put in to push her toward this goal.
“She really shows a lot of composure, discipline and determination,” team coach Eric Goldberg said. “I was really happy for her to have that moment and to see success.”
He said that girls’ wrestling is growing quickly across the country and that role models like Abdrabo can inspire younger athletes to pursue the sport.
“It was a historic weekend for us,” said. “This is our first time entering the county tournament with girls’ wrestling, and to walk away with two medals is something that the school should be proud of.”
Jaylen Horton, a freshman, finished fourth in a different weight class. Goldberg said she faced a difficult bracket at the tournament.
“She lost her first match to the eventual county champ and then won three straight,” he said. “She put herself into a position to take fourth.”
Goldberg said some competitions are mixed-gender, and in others, girls compete only against other girls. He said that at Herricks everyone belongs to one team.
“Sometimes the girls will practice with each other when we’re teaching a technique,” he said, “but when they partner up for live goes, they’ll practice with the boys.”
“I would love to see them pursue this in college,” Goldberg said. “I think it’s an opportunity for them to be leaders in such a newly developed sport. Right now I’m just proud of the fact that even at their young age, they’re going to be models for that next generation of girls coming up.
“To be able to have success in a sport as it’s growing is really special,” he said, “and I’m happy that we can all be a part of that.”
