On weeknights (and sometimes weekends) from December to February, the gym at Westfield High School holds sporting events that often hosts hundreds of spectators. These athletic games and meets display some of the best athletes that Westfield has to offer, including boys and girls basketball, gymnastics, cheerleading, and boys wrestling. And this year, girls wrestling joins them, as FCPS has allowed schools to field a girls wrestling team for the first time this school year.
For those who didn’t know, FCPS allowed girls wrestling to be approved as a winter sport for the 2024-2025 school year, and the foreseeable future. There are 7 players on the roster this season, according to MaxPreps (not the most accurate source, but the only one I found with a roster.) I asked Stephanie Rodriguez, 10, why she thinks other girls at Westfield should consider signing up for wrestling next year.
“I think it has a very good influence on you mentally because it requires a lot of mental toughness and helps you grow as a person.” Rodriguez also said that she joined the team early in the school year because she said the team was “pretty chill” and she liked how it was a tough challenge physically and mentally.
The girls wrestling team at Westfield, just like the other athletic teams, competes in the Concorde District within the 6th classification of the VHSL (Virginia High School League) which is the highest classification in the state. The other teams in their district include the Oakton Cougars, the James Madison Warhawks, the South Lakes Seahawks, and crosstown rivals Chantilly and Centreville. The program primarily faces off against these teams within their district, but have also wrestled against Rock Ridge High School from Ashburn, Wakefield High School from Arlington, as well as Fairfax, Independence, and Mountain View. On Saturday, February 1st, the team has a meet at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn. From there, Westfield hosts the district tournament for both girls and boys on Friday, February 7th, and if they advance further, they travel down route 28 to Centreville High School for the regional tournament.
Symmetrical to every other athletic team at Westfield, the Girls Wrestling team has to take on a hectic schedule throughout the season. Whether it’s practice after school, a meet that lasts a duration of 2-3 hours, or a tournament that can last even longer, it’s often that these student athletes leave for school at 7:30 in the morning (or earlier, depending on their method of transportation) and don’t get back until well into the evening.
When asked about how she balances school and wrestling, Ivana Chavarria Lopez, 10, stated “I tend to just do my schoolwork after practice, and whenever I have a free period or spare time during class. So while there are certain times I try to use to get my work done, it’s not completely a strict schedule so I still have time to do what I want to do.” Chavarria Lopez also said that the most difficult part of the season was showing up to practice every day after school, despite being “mentally clocked out.”
With Girls Wrestling and Boys Volleyball debuting in FCPS this year, it will be interesting to see going forward if the VHSL, along with Fairfax County Public Schools, are looking to expand to sports such as handball, flag football, and many others that could see themselves on the Westfield athletics page sooner or later.
