Palomar’s Women’s Wrestling Team has exciting upcoming events planned for the year.

The Women’s Wrestling Team is getting ready for its next upcoming event on March 18 in East Los Angeles. The coach, Timothy Box, shared that it will be the women’s third tournament this year.

“​​Anya Rodriquez and Sierra Mefford both placed top-3 at the Cerritos Open and the Menlo Open, which were two tough tournaments against the national-level competition,” Box said. The team and coach are hoping to use that to their advantage to showcase a good showing at the upcoming tournament.

Coach box was eager for the big plans he has for the team. He has the goal of growing the wrestling program to eventually meet state champion contending team requirements. Coach box said, “ I want to create an environment where these athletes learn how to work hard, build confidence, have fun, and strive to be the best versions of themselves.”

The women’s wrestling team practices at Palomar’s campus on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Practice for the team always starts at 4 pm. The women’s team and box spend a great amount of their time on match strategy and technical preparation to ready themselves for future tournaments. Box shared that the technical preparations for the team is to give the women more confidence before events.

“Wrestling is just as much of a mental game as it is a physical one, so I try to make sure we’re in the right mindset before stepping out on the mat,” Box said. Box finds it very important to help the team believe in themselves and their skills. Box makes sure to create a safe environment for the women by focusing on positive thinking while still making practice and tournaments fun for the team.

Box described his team in one word, ‘Heart.’ Coach Box expressed how proud he is of the individuals on the team. “I’m so proud of these young women for accomplishing something that’s never been done before at our school.” Palomar’s women’s wrestling team is making new milestones for Palomar as the first to represent their college.

The team will be competing in the California College Athletic Association Championships at 9 a.m. on April 15, 2023.