In just its second year of existence, Nordonia High School’s girls wrestling program has already made school history, sending its first-ever female wrestler to the state tournament.
Sophomore Cecelia Gilliam, who finished the season with an impressive 38-6 record, became Nordonia’s first girls wrestling state qualifier, marking a significant milestone for the young program. “This is the second year we have had a girls wrestling program,” said Asst. Coach Jason Lara. “Cecelia Gilliam and Ella McCabe. They are the first two girls ever. Both are sophomores this year.”
The program has doubled in size since its inception. “This year we had two more girls: Alicia Anderson who was a Senior and Sarah Chase who was a sophomore. We are excited to grow this program,” the coach added.
Gilliam’s achievement follows her promising freshman season. “Cecelia is a sophomore at Nordonia high school. She started wrestling her freshman year where she made it to the districts and went 2-2 but just fell short of the state tournament. This year she is 38-6 on the season and has become Nordonia High School’s first ever state qualifier in girls wrestling,” according to the head coach Jason Walters.
Girls wrestling has been gaining momentum across Ohio in recent years. The growing participation at schools like Nordonia reflects the sport’s increasing popularity among female athletes. With Gilliam and other underclassmen returning next season, the future looks bright for Nordonia’s girls wrestling program as it continues to build on this historic accomplishment.
Assistant Coach Jason Lara and Head Coach Jason Walters
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