The big 5-0.
Sophomore wrestler Rowan Statz reached the career milestone of 50 wins at the Weeping Water Invitational January 20. The win continues a strong month which includes a win at the Beatrice Invite where she won the meet by going 5-0 with 4 pins, including a pin of the #5 ranked wrestler in her weight class.
“It was a hard meet,” Statz said, “But I fought through it.”
This win is celebrated by her team not only because she is an underclassman, but also because Statz only started wrestling when she got to high school. With just a freshman season under her belt, Statz said she is pleased with her progress.
“So far, this season has been a lot better than last year,” Statz said, “I’ve beat some decently ranked people, not the best, but gone against some highly ranked people and done well so far.”
One big contributor to this growth has been the coaches and teammates Statz has wrestled with at EHS. The girls program also includes wrestlers from Elkhorn South and Elkhorn North. Her coaches and teammates have already made a positive impact on Statz after just a season and a half.
“My biggest inspiration is mainly my coaches,” Statz said. “I always look up to them, as well as Diesel (Janovich) because she’s always doing so well, and I want to do the same.”
Although the girls wrestling team is not as large as the boys’, Elkhorn’s program has rapidly grown over the past few years. Statz said she’s adjusting to the reality of having success as a female in a male dominated sport.
“It’s definitely different because you have to wear singlets and certain things,” Statz said. “I think after a while you get used to it, and you don’t feel as awkward.”
Along with her wins on the mat, Statz has also been making waves in the weight room. At Elkhorn High, there are records kept for both boys and girls regarding lifting accomplishments of athletes at the school. Statz explained how she broke a recent record without even trying for it.
“It’s a total of three lifts: deadlift, bench, and squat. The coach adds them up to see what the total is,” Statz said. “To be honest, I didn’t even know I broke it until he said something.”
Having a record set in her name at Elkhorn High is an accomplishment that Statz feels great pride in.
“I felt pretty good about it,” Statz said. “It made me think that I could actually do something and make a difference or be noticed by people.”
