Raw emotion. Fierce determination. Unparalleled athleticism. These qualities set Weber High wrestlers apart from any others in the state of Utah. If you’ve never been to a match, the scene is exhilarating: a buzz of adrenaline in the air, the strike of a lunging athlete, and the palpable hope of Warriors preparing to show off hours of hard work. With so much excitement, it begs the question: what does it take to be a Weber wrestler?
If there’s one person who can answer this question, it’s Aleena Navarette, known by friends as Nessa. Some students may know her name from seeing her face broadcast in the Commons; a dedicated wrestler since her freshman year, Navarette is a Weber junior, ranked number one in 6A division schools and has an undefeated record. Taking home titles at the Utah All Star Duels and the Rockwell Rumble, not to mention countless others, Navarette is ranked 27th in the nation for pound-for-pound wrestling. Despite this jaw-dropping series of achievements, Navarette is not intimidating. Friendly and eloquent, she is vulnerable about what it takes to get to the top. Navarette explains that she joined wrestling her freshman year — the first year of girls wrestling at Weber. “I really liked how hard it was. You had to be mentally tough to succeed. It really pushed me to be a better person in general,” she says. But getting to where she is now wasn’t a straightforward process. “Losing a lot is tough. Trying your absolute hardest, matching your physical strength against another girl, giving it everything you have, and still coming up short, that’s the worst feeling ever. I wanted to not feel that way. I wanted to try my best and do great. Going through those hardships and losing constantly as a freshman made me grow as a person and as a wrestler.”
Navarette acknowledges that hard work and a background in sports helped her improve and get to a point where she felt confident in her abilities. “Growing up as a kid, I was always super athletic. We’d go on hikes all of the time and I’d wear a weighted backpack. I always loved soccer and gymnastics. Having that edge from a young age really put me in the game,” she says. In addition to a natural proclivity for athletics, Navarette isn’t afraid to make the most of her time. “One thing that I do personally is that I don’t waste time talking or not wrestling to my full ability. It’s fun to be at practice, it’s fun to be with friends, but focusing and honing in on your skills at practice…I think I utilize that time the best.”
With an entire year of wrestling ahead of her, she looks optimistically toward the future. Going into Divisionals, the top eight girls from that competition make it to State. Navarette hopes to become a three-time State Champion by the end of her high school career. Beyond high school: “My end goal is to wrestle in college and after college, in the World Games. I do wrestle during the off-season, a different style of wrestling, so I do wrestle constantly.” Considering her outstanding accomplishments thus far, a professional career doesn’t seem far off.
Although not everybody has ambitions toward that level of success, Navarette’s advice applies to all athletes of any age or skill level. “You have no one to put your blame on beside yourself. You can only improve on yourself. It’s just you out there against that other girl. There’s no excuses. You have to keep improving,” she says.
This attitude of self-sufficiency is common among wrestlers, who quickly develop a growth mindset to succeed. Hunter Ferguson, junior, mentions what sets him apart as he dives into his first year of wrestling. “Heart. Aggressiveness. Even though they’re probably better than me, I still put in my 100% and go to practice every day and do what I need to do.” His commitment to putting his best foot forward is echoed by Scottie Jade, another first-year wrestler. “No matter how intimidating you are, technique wins over strength and looks. People have told me that I look scary when I walk up, and that’s because I have all the confidence that I am gonna win. Even if I don’t win, I walk away acting like I won.” Although confidence is key, the wrestling team still relies on each other for support. “I’m a good teammate,” Jade says. “Win or lose, I’m going to pick up my teammates when they fall.”
Overall, the unique attitude of Weber wrestlers is reflected in their sustained success and competitive spirit. One quality that all three of these wrestlers share is their encouragement of other students to participate in wrestling, whether that means trying out for the team or supporting them at matches. “Try it,” Jade says. “Come to open mats next year, come to open mats this spring. Just try it out, and see how you feel. Join the team. Start early. Try it out.” At the end of the day, new opportunities require new growth, win or lose.
Ferguson’s final advice? “Take that loss, watch it, see what you did wrong, practice…and beat them next time!”