MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
In only her second year wrestling, Leslie Rosas has already made her impact felt on the La Joya Palmview girls team.
Last year, she was an alternate for regionals, falling short of her goal of reaching state. This year, she’s undefeated and very much showing the type of grit that has her and coach Isabel Hernandez believing this could be the year the senior cashes in on her potential.
“I tell her, look at the way you are this year. Imagine if you would’ve been wrestling since your freshman year. You would’ve been dominating,” Hernandez said she tells Rosas.
Rosas, a team captain, is already generating interest from college recruiters. She’s been wrestling in the 119-pound class and is looking to drop to 110.
Already, she’s developed a dependable headlock and hip toss, avenging losses this season to from La Joya High, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln and San Benito.
This year, Hernandez sees “a more determined” Rosas — one who’s adding bulk to her frame, hoping to avoid the disappointment of finishing as a regional alternate once again.
“She says she’s going to make it to regionals and she wants to make it to state,” Hernandez said. “She’s set that goal and she’s really working hard at it.”
As much as she’s motivated by those individual accolades, the Lady Lobos as a whole are driven by their runner-up finishes in district the past couple of years. So far this season, Palmview has finished in second place in two tournaments.
Wrestlers like Stephanie Rosas, Leslie’s sister, have done their part to keep Palmview competitive. Only a freshman, Stephanie has endured only two losses this season in the 185 class, proving herself as a quick learner after joining the sport last year.
“Everything you teach her, she learns, “Hernandez said. “Sometimes you tell her what to do and she says, ‘Coach, I just block everybody out and do my own thing,’ and she still does what I tell her to do. She’s one of these kids that’s very, very impressive. She just knows what to do.”
Maria Esmeralda Perez, a sophomore in the 165 class, has also been impressive this year, losing only two matches. And Alyssa Salinas, a two-time regional and state qualifier, has helped provide leadership to Palmview.
TOURNEY TIME
The 10th annual Snakebite Invitational will take place Friday and Saturday at Rio Grande City. The four-mat, 18-school event will primarily host Valley schools, with Bryan College State, Corpus Christi Moody and San Antonio Christian Academy also joining.
RGC coach Ronald Pratt said the tournament serves as a good opportunity to showcase the new campus while providing wrestlers exposure to their fellow district mates, an enticing draw to the tournament, considering district is a little more than a month away.
Also, for wrestlers who didn’t have the qualifying grades to compete earlier, the two-day tournament should provide sufficient time on the mat to get adjusted.
“I think it’s going to be good for us because we’re only missing 2-3 teams from our district,” Pratt said. “So this’ll be good to see where we compare.”