The PAC lobby was filled with laughter and applause on Thursday as the Mount Vernon Girls Wrestling Team celebrated its successful season with an impressive record of 27-5-4, and placing fourth as a team at Class 1A State Feb. 6.
The night began with an acknowledgment of how the team did overall. Head Coach Trevor Trende followed up by recognizing and awarding many of the girls. These awards included Best Sportsmanship (Kaylee Kintzel), Guts Club (Kate Martin, Gracie Pinckney, Kiersten Swart, and Audrey Dix), Hardest Worker (Kate Martin), Just Dance Award (Carly Elliot), Freshman of the Year (Channing Kuker), Outstanding Athlete (Gracie Pinckney), Teammate of the Year (Addi Whisner), Most Valuable Player (Kiersten Swart), the Most Improved Wrestler award was a tie between sisters Lexi and Lyla Glaza, and lasty, all of the seniors were given an award to remember wrestling for Mount Vernon.
Trende then thanked all of the parents for their support throughout the season and for persevering through the hours-long meets. Trende also thanked all of the athletes for the dedication they put into wrestling and their overall performance. “The girls truly put in an unbelievable amount of work each day,” Trende said. “Because of them, the standards have been raised.”
Within the banquet, the girls were also recognized for the success they had in the state tournament this year. Five placed at state: Gracie Pinckney (170) placed first, Addi Whisner (145) placed second, Kiersten Swart (110) placed fourth, Kate Martin (105) placed fourth, and Kaylee Kintzel (155) placed 7th. Lexi Glaza (125) and Maci Stoner (190) also qualified for state.
The girls also showed their gratitude and appreciation for the club, coaches, and their teammates. “My teammates are genuinely the reason that I love wrestling so much. They push me and encourage me and overall make wrestling such an amazing sport,” sophomore wrestler Lexi Glaza said. “My coaches are also able to balance fun and discipline to give me and the rest of the athletes the best success on and off the mat.”
Coach Trende ended the night by congratulating all of the seniors and what they have done for the team. “I am incredibly honored to have coached you all. Thank you for leaving it better than you found it.”
Girls Wrestling Video
