Inexperienced Lady Cubs gaining experience

By Jared Lankford [email protected]

With just two grapplers returning with varsity experience Monett Girls Wrestling Coach Justin Semerad knew wins would be hard to come by this season.

Still, Semerad has plowed into the year and the challenge placed in front of his team with a vigor and determination, and now, he is beginning to see his team improving.

“The is season has been about growing due to our inexperience,” Semerad said. “All but two of our girls have no experience or have not made it through a full season of wrestling.”

Monett’s two seniors with varsity experience are Vivian Rodriguez and Amethyst James.

The Lady Cubs’ losses mounted early in the year, but the tide seems to be turning, as the Lady Cubs are taking to the coaching.

“The first thing you have to have is an athlete that not just wants to be coached, but is able to apply that coaching to their style,” Semerad said. “I am not a yeller, and am fairly relaxed in my coaching style, and early on, you saw our girls reverting to their bad habits. That was frustrating. Now, over the last three weeks, you are seeing the girls apply techniques that we are drilling in practice, and that is exciting. Because then, we can watch the tape and I can show them specifically what they can do to improve.”

Semerad noted that improvement in practice does not always translate to wins on the mat, but several of his athletes are now going the full three rounds instead of getting pinned in the first period.

Sophomore Leanny Sandoval drew high praise from her coach on how much she has developed in the sport.

“The last three weeks, she has come a tremendous way,” Semerad said. “She medaled at Willard and now is finding herself wrestling on the winners side of the bracket instead of wrestling for 17th place. For a coach, when you see players taking what they learn in practice and apply it in a match, it makes you feel good. I can handle the losses in those situations. She is one that keeps working hard.”

Semerad highlighted freshman Naomi Orellano who he described as the strongest wrestler in the Lady Cubs’ room.

“Pound for pound, she is the strongest,” Semerad said. “She a tenacious wrestler with a strong work ethic. She had worked hard to get better and the matches are slowing down for her now. She is winning those types of matches that were a close loss earlier in the season. She went 3-0 at the Big 8 Conference meet and became a conference champion. She is one of those that could surprise some people in the district.”

Monett has developed a motto of “Why Not Us.”

“Every year at the district tournament, there are girls that on paper have no business making a run or winning a match,” Semerad said. “I think that is us right now. On paper, we have some girls that based on their record shouldn’t have a chance. But if they continue to work hard and grow in practice, they could surprise some people.”

Regardless of how the season ends, Semerad has stressed to his team that the ground work they lay this year, while maybe not racking up wins, will translate into wins next year.