Freshman Catherine Cooper has set female wresting history for not just our wrestling team, but for the entirety of Roseville High School. Cooper is the first female Panther to place at a Tournament. The score came down to 18-3, placing her in second. Despite all the odds of her matches, Cooper continued to stand tall and give them nothing less than a fight. She showed resilience; surprising everyone with her critical thinking, quick takedowns, and genuine show of technique. Cooper has set the standard and has shown that the Roseville Girl’s Wrestling team isn’t something to look down upon; state placing or not, they’re here to give you run for your money.

Though placing, Cooper does share that she will get even better so that she can be first, and that she’s not easily intimidated by any kind of state placer. “When I placed it felt pretty awesome but after my matches, I was tired. It was pretty cool to actually to wrestle these people. I’m really happy to have came in second, but next time I’m going out there and I’m going to beat her,” Cooper said.

Joe Baker, Cooper’s coach, shares with us that when stepping into these matches, he had no expectations for Cooper; only wanting her to go out and fight despite the odds. He himself was surprised and proud of Cooper’s performance. He speaks highly of Cooper, sharing his admiration for her hard work, dedication, and her toughness. “This is the only beginning. The thing about her is that she’s wrestling boys her size every day and when the other kids are complaining, she doesn’t say a word and just grinds it out. That right there, that mental fortitude is going to get her a long way and we’ll teach the rest to her,’ Baker said.