Cheers are ringing, tears are falling, and the coach is jumping into the air! The girls wrestling team just made it to state!
Seniors Jazleen Alvarez, Ashlin George, and Elizabeth Larsen will soon be representing Hastings High’s first girls wrestling team at the NSAA State Wrestling Tournament on February 17-18.
The girls competed at the Class A districts competition in Gering, Nebraska on February 7. In the 170lbs weight class, Alvarez (second seed) became a district champion, securing first place over Grand Island’s Leslie Garcia Gomez (first seed).
“I didn’t think I would even be in the finals match, so when I did win, I was so shocked… everyone was jumping and I was just mouth open… like ‘I can’t believe I just did that,’” Alvarez said. “There was so much ‘light’ in a way. I don’t know how to explain it, but I was just relieved and felt at ease.”
Some of that relief stems from the fact Alvarez injured her knee a week prior to districts. Additionally, this year is Alvarez’s comeback into the wrestling scene after she was unable to compete her entire junior season due to shoulder surgery.
“It’s pretty unreal in a way because of how long of a journey I’ve had to be healed up from my injuries,” Alvarez said. “I think it’s a blessing.”
For Alvarez, what pushes her to succeed in spite of her injuries is her family, especially her mother, who shows up to each of her matches bringing food and encouragement.
“My mom has been my biggest support since I joined wrestling. She has always driven me to be better and motivated me to practice when I didn’t want to,” Alvarez said. “I’m truly grateful for her putting the time and effort into this sport because I never once looked up in the stands wondering if she would be there.”
Alvarez also moves forward for her sister, who is also a wrestler in middle school and will be joining the high school team next year.
“She’s improving as time goes on and she looks up to me, so I feel like the more good examples I set for her, the more she’ll continue to push through as well,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez set some new personal records at districts, achieving a 12 second pin alongside it being her first time as a district champion. When Alvarez wrestled for Lincoln High School sophomore year, she managed to make state by placing fourth at districts.
“State qualifier was one of my goals, but being a district champ was like a cherry on top,” Alvarez said.
This year, George is the one who placed fourth, qualifying for state after she won her heartbreak round within the 115lbs weight class.
“It’s always nerve-racking in the heartbreak round because you’re either going to make it or break it. There’s no in between,” George said. “So, those always make me feel really bad… you’re going to have to end someone’s season or someone’s going to end yours.”
This will be George’s second time at state. She will be joined by her long-time teammate, Larsen, who placed third in the 235lbs weight class and is a first-time state qualifier.
“It feels really great to see Liz finally succeed at something I’ve watched her try so hard for. I don’t think anyone deserves to go more than her,” George said.
The girls are not the only ones excited for state. Girls Wrestling Head Coach Matthew Geiger was sighted jumping alongside the rest of them following the results at districts.
“Apparently I jumped and did a cute little kick, but it’s just a natural reaction. I was very excited,” Geiger said. “I was kind of worried someone was going to catch a picture of that… [there’s] none that I’ve seen, thank goodness.”
With it being his first time as head coach and the girls wrestling program being new, Geiger was nervous for the girls during districts.
“You would have thought I was wrestling that day,” Geiger said. “Coach Laux, the head coach for the boys, I used to give him crap because when he was… like stressed out, he would throw his shoulders back. I caught myself doing that at districts all the time, so I had to text him ‘Hey, I get it now.’”
Despite the nerves, Geiger always tries to fulfill his role as a coach, especially when it comes to motivation. Earlier this year, he made a bet to dye his hair blue if three of the girls made it to state. Alvarez also requested he make chicken alfredo if she won districts.
“Little things like if I have to look goofy or if I have to cook, if it’s going to help them, so be it,” Geiger said. “If I have to spend a night making chicken alfredo, it’s a small thing if that’s going to push Jazz to go harder… If I have to have blue hair for a month because that’s what gets them to state, all right.”
These efforts of Geiger, alongside Assistant Coach Aleijah Tomlinson, have not gone unnoticed by the girls.
“Coach T, I think her willingness to learn about the sport has really benefitted the other girls… like I see Coach T’s growth in them as well,” George said. “Geiger, he’s always been there for us… always been super supportive, and he really does believe in every single one of us… he’s just like one of us, one of our friends.”
Geiger said he has seen immense growth from all the girls this season. The team consists of nine members, so he aims to grow the program even further, as the middle school team has nearly 30 girls. He believes the team will become a threat for years to come.
“It’s been crazy… you got all these freshmen, two of them that have never seen the wrestling mat before… [and] they’re pushing forward and being aggressive, so it’s great seeing everybody just growing that confidence,” Geiger said.
Geiger hopes to have more duals next season too. This year, the team only managed three duals due to scheduling difficulties.
“Bless her heart, Tracy Douglas… We absolutely want duals. It’s just with the short time that we had, it was hard… so credits to Tracy for being able to actually get that ready. It couldn’t have been easy,” Geiger said.
Going into the state, the seniors are not just aiming to place. They want to make history and pave the way for the future generations of HHS girls wrestling. Because with the start of a new team, the only ‘place’ to look is forward.
“This team is going to be bigger than me,” George said. “I just want to build something that’ll outlive me and to create a strong team… and I want to be someone that the younger girls can look up to.”
