Starting a new sport can be intimidating for some, but freshman Chinyari Parrish decided to take the risk and try out wrestling for the first time. To her surprise, she had a talent for the sport and quickly grew to become a strong wrestler. Parrish trained hard throughout the season and placed third in the CSL conference tournament on Jan. 25th, qualifying for regionals.

Wrestling is a complex sport that takes a toll on your physical and mental health. Parrish was able to not only step up to these challenges but defeat them. Girls wrestling head coach Caitlin Casey saw Parrish’s ability to stay calm on the mat, a vital quality for wrestlers.

“Yari had a swag about her although she had never been told to get into a wrestling stance until she met us. She would approach a match without looking nervous, but rather cool, calm and collected. Her ability to present this way is misleading to an opponent,” Casey said.

Placing third in conference was a huge accomplishment, and Parrish felt a great sense of pride, partly due to her team’s great support for her.

“I just put my all in, I hope for the best…I was really happy for myself, of course. Everybody was like ‘Oh yari you did really good’ so I was pretty proud,” Parrish said.

Parrish’s outgoing personality made an impact on the team, and senior teammate Isabella Odisho has seen the impact that Parrish has made on the team’s energy.

“She has become a leader to her friends and teammates…Yari creates a good environment for the team because of her uplifting energy and support towards her teammates. She is always getting everyone pumped right before their match,” Odisho said. 

Parrish competed in the first day of Regionals on Jan. 31st but did not make it to the next day. Though Parrish’s wrestling journey fell short after the regular season, she is still motivated to get better for next year.

“Now that I know what I’m doing, I just think that I’ll have a lot more confidence in myself [next season]…I do want to move to a higher weight class for next season and improve all my skills,” Parrish said.

Casey is proud of Parrish’s rapid success but sees improvements needed for Parrish to fulfill her potential.

“If Yari could manage to blend her swag with more techniques and increased pace I think she will be a force to be reckoned with,” Casey said.