Blaine’s Analicea Ordonez is one of a few captains for the girls wrestling team. The junior 155-pound wrestler began wrestling at 15 years old when a former captain invited her to a practice.
“I went into it and I liked it,” Ordonez said. “I have had a lot of rough patches in my life, like many people have, and wrestling has taught me to push through it. It has taught me hard work, dedication, work ethic and [to] never give up.”
Ordonez’s sophomore season ended at the regional tournament after trying to wrestle at 170 pounds. This season, she hopes to improve on last year and push for a state tournament qualification.
Ordonez believes she can improve with her Blaine teammates because of the team environment and camaraderie.
“You are going through the same hardships, sweat and blood as much as the girl next to you,” Ordonez said. “Everybody on this team is like a sister to me. We have a bunch of new freshmen, and I don’t know them too well, but once they walk on the mat, they are family.”
Ordonez and new coach Damon Higgins will look to propel the Borderites squad to a higher spot in the Northwest Conference after finishing 4-5 in duals last year. Once her high school career ends, Ordonez wants to wrestle at a smaller college.
Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN's sports reporter; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.
