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Two Rockbridge County High School wrestlers, Mia Marando and Stephanie Ross, made history by competing in the inaugural Virginia High School League Girls State Open Wrestling Championships on Friday and Saturday at Unity Reed High School in Manassas.
Marando, a sophomore, went 2-2 at 146-pounds, while Ross, a junior, went 0-2 at 136-pounds.
In the first round, Marando pinned George C. Marshall’s Josephin Gunter in 1:13. Marando then faced Brentsville District’s May Cuyler in the second round and took her into the third period, but Marando was pinned in 4:44. Cuyler went on to win the state championship, and Marando was the only opponent to challenge her.
In the consolation bracket, Marando pinned Dinwiddie’s Hannah Hendrick in 21 seconds before losing to Spotsylvania’s Mac Robinson in a 4-3 decision.
Ross faced Nandua’s Dulce Perez-Vicent in the first round and lost in a 10-7 decision. In the consolation bracket, Ross was pinned by Westfield’s Rebecca Dishun in 4:59.
Guiding Marando and Ross was first-year RC assistant coach Garrett Shultz, who was a state placer at Riverheads High School before wrestling at Virginia Military Institute. Both RC girls are in their first year of wrestling and practiced this season with the boys on the RC wrestling team, under the direction of first-year RC head coach Mike Wood.
As a team this year, the Wildcats won the Valley District, placed sixth in the Region 3C tournament, and finished 12th in the Class 3 state tournament, with four state qualifiers.
Marando did see some competition with the boys during the regular season, including in the Wildcats’ season- opening home dual on Dec. 1 against Fort Defiance, when she stepped in at 144-pounds for a teammate who was out sick. Marando was pinned then, but the experience was valuable for her.
She started wrestling because she watched her older brothers, Nic and Anthony, wrestle for the Wildcats. “I never thought about joining the team myself, but then I did,” she said.
Commenting on what wrestling has done for her, Marando said, “I never knew joining the wrestling team would have meant so much to me, but I learned to fall in love with the sport even more. Wrestling isn’t like any other sport. The team is a family, and they’re always there for each other.”
She said being at the firstever girls state tournament was “a great opportunity and learning experience.”
“I can’t wait to see what girls wrestling looks like in the future,” she added. “I’ve learned team bonding is a big part of the sport, and it takes a lot more than conditioning and technique; it’s about the mindset. I have to thank the boys for supporting me through my first year of wrestling.”
Marando also expressed her gratitude to Shultz for supporting her at the state tournament and throughout the entire season. She said she was grateful to Ross for “telling me to push harder and stay focused on my goals.”
Looking ahead, Marando said, “I can’t wait to get back on the mat next season and see where it takes me.”
Ross said joining the team was “a last-minute decision, not realizing that it would change my life completely, along with changing my determination and goals. Joining this team has given me a family like no other.”
She said the RC wrestling family “has taught me to be stronger, to work harder, and to keep pushing even when your body is screaming at you to stop. I’ve been told so many times, ‘mind over body,’ which is not only directed for wrestling but everyday challenges you face throughout life.
“Wrestling is not just a sport but a lifestyle,” she continued. “It’s not only about technique, but the mindset you put yourself in. If you are weak-minded, wrestling is not for you.”
Ross said being able to compete in the first-ever VHSL girls state tournament was “an amazing opportunity.”
She said she came off the mat “with regret and disappointment, wishing and knowing I could have done better, but there is always next year, and I’ll be ready for it.”
Ross said she was grateful to the boys on the wrestling team for supporting her and pushing her throughout the season, and she thanked Shultz for his support at the girls state tournament and throughout the season.
She gave her biggest thanks to Marando, “who has literally been by my side the entire season. She’s not only my teammate, but someone who has continued to push me outside of my comfort zone, making me a better wrestler and competitor and a better friend.”
