With another high school wrestling season in the books, Metea Valley junior Rosie Picari pinned down a powerful ending. She became the first Mustang girls wrestler to place in the IHSA state series, finishing third on the podium in the 140-pound weight class. This story is sponsored by Fair Oaks Ford and Fair Oaks Lincoln.
One of two Mustangs to compete at state
“It just felt like a normal tournament to me because after the nerves were gone, I was just wrestling, and it was super fun. So it was great,” said Picari.
She was one of two local wrestlers to qualify for state, the other being her teammate, Ashley Bajmajian. Picari entered the tournament as the ninth seed in her weight class. However, she did not have the start she wanted, falling in a 10-5 decision in her opening round matchup to Isabella Miller from OPRF, the eventual state runner-up. Despite being one defeat away from elimination, the Mustang faced her challenge head-on.
“The nervousness got to me, but after that, they were all gone. So it was just like wrestling in any other tournament. The mat is the same size, the floor is just bigger, but honestly, I was just prepared,” said Picari.
Picari battles back to place on the podium
Picari locked in and won her next five matches, culminating in a 7-2 decision over Ezra Rodriguez from Minooka to win the third-place medal.
“Her whole career, she’s been able to wrestle back after a loss. So I just told her, hey, it’s just another tournament, it’s time to wrestle back now, and she won five in a row, and it was great,” said Metea Valley wrestling coach Kevin Garbis.
It was a Cinderella run to finish her season with a record of 57-7. The junior came through in the clutch throughout the postseason, winning her first regional championship and earning a victory in the blood round of the Schaumburg sectional to punch her ticket to state.
Head Coach Kevin Garbis was excited to see the grapplers’ hard work pay off after years of coming up short.
“She definitely deserved it. Last two years, she got through the blood round, and didn’t make it in her freshman and sophomore years. This year, we got to the blood around again, and she really just wanted to get down there. Then, when she got down there, she showed what she was working really hard, it paid off, and she did great, so it’s super exciting,” said Garbis.
This is only Picari’s third year of wrestling after giving the sport a try when she entered high school as a freshman.
“Before this, I wasn’t athletic at all. I didn’t have anything, just sports-wise I really connected with wrestling, I fell in love with it, and I’m just so happy that I was able to grow more every year,” said Picari.
High hopes for her senior year
With one season left at Metea, Picari has full confidence that she has what it takes to get to the top of the mountain and leave a lasting memory for her program by becoming the first state champion wrestler for the Mustangs.
“I know I’m going to dominate next year on the mat. I want to go out there and show how tough I am, and I have no doubt in myself to win and achieve even greater things after that,” said Picari.
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