With winter sports beginning to start up, it’s hard to keep track of all of them. There’s boys’ swim and dive, boys’ and girls’ basketball, bowling, skiing, and more. One of the most beloved winter sports however, is wrestling.

Having been around since the 15th and 16th centuries, wrestling has undergone a lot of development to become the sport that it is today. After officially becoming a recognized sport in New York City in 1888, it has since then been introduced throughout the country, finding itself in many high schools, colleges, and professional arenas.

Eastern has had a wrestling team for many years now, however, it wasn’t until recently that it became a co-ed team. Emma Donovan (’24), began her wrestling journey six years ago in 7th grade, after being introduced to the sport by one of her cross country teammates, Josiah Thomas. Prior to wrestling, Emma was an avid runner and enjoyed participating on Eastern’s cross country team. That following winter, needing some off-season training, Emma tried out for the wrestling team. This was unusual, as Eastern had never had a female wrestler. Regardless of this, Emma was quickly welcomed to the team and instantly fell in love with the sport.

Throughout the years, Emma has continued to work hard and push herself to become the best wrestler possible. She now holds severals accomplishments under her belt including being on the junior national team, a team captain, and all-state athlete. She is easily recognized as one of the best wrestlers at Eastern. Eager to continue her wrestling career, Emma has officially signed with Grand Valley University, meaning she will continue to wrestle throughout her time in college.

However, despite her immense accomplishments, wrestling hasn’t always been easy on Emma. Just last year during one of her matches, her shoulder was dislocated, effectively ripping her out of the remainder of the season. Although, this setback did not stop her from continuing to cheer on her teammates. Despite having to remain on the sidelines instead of the mat, Emma showed up to every wrestling match to cheer on each individual teammate, supporting them throughout the duration of their remaining season. She’s a wonderful example of the qualities Eastern promotes: hardworking, resilient, and kind. This year, Emma will be back on the mat, competing for more titles.

Wrestling is an amazing and fun sport to try out. If interested, tryouts are necessary and upcoming. But if watching is more your style, make sure to check out their schedule online to cheer on Emma and the rest of the wrestling team!