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All-American

Walters Claims Fifth At National Wrestling Tourney

Mika Walters made history last weekend by finishing fifth at the National High School Coaches Association National Tournament at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. It marked the first year that a dedicated girls category was in place. Submitted photos

Southwestern junior Mika Walters added two special achievements to her already impressive amateur wrestling resume last weekend.

After suffering an injury in January that kept her sidelined for the better part of the winter season, Walters had a chance to make history by competing in the first National High School Coaches Association National Tournament at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Although it was the 30th annual championships, 2019 marked the first year that a dedicated girls category was in place.

Despite entering the weekend not 100 percent recovered from her injury, Walters claimed a fifth-place finish in the 136-pound division, earning High School All-American honors.

“It was kind of the first time that girls wrestling was really sanctioned as a high school sport,” Walters said Wednesday night. “In reality, I probably wasn’t ready to wrestle because I only had three practices before the tournament. I was really nervous, but it was one of those things that I thought I had to go to to make history and be a part of it.”

In early January, Walters was in action for the Trojans during the boys high school wrestling season when she suffered the injury that forced her to take time off.

“It was in early January and I was at a match and my left leg was ankle picked. I thought it was nothing and then in the match I went up to stand and my knee buckled out,” said Walters. “I took a week off and then went back to practice and it went out on me again. We got it checked out and they said it was a hamstring sprain. They had a certain name for it. We went to a sports medicine doctor and he said I would be out and in (physical therapy) for a while. I was out for three months and had six weeks of (physical therapy).”

While all wrestlers are used to suffering injuries, this was the first time that Walters had been forced out of competition for an extended period of time.

“I had this one injury in middle school, but I wasn’t as seriously invested in wrestling as I am now,” she said. “This took me out of so many tournaments.”

In her first match in Virginia Beach, Walters claimed an 8-5 victory despite not having the practice time she would have liked.

In her second bout, a 1-1 tie heading into the third period quickly turned into a last-second victory as Walters was able to pick up points on a head-and-arm (hold) before eventually falling in semifinal action against a close friend from New York.

“It was really special because the boys have always had that (tournament) and this is the first year that the girls could get recognized by their schools. It just felt so big because everyone was there for us as much as they were for the guys.”

Now, with her injury hopefully in the rear-view mirror, Walters will prepare for the Cliff Keen Gotham City Girl’s Open in New York City on April 19-20. Next up after that tournament will be the World Team Trials on May 11 in Irving, Texas.

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