For many athletes, marching to the finals of the 4A/3A state wrestling tournament by winning three consecutive matches would have been a good performance ? something to boast of to friends or one day tell the kids about.
But for Nicole Woody, the first girl in Maryland history to ever make the boys? state championship finals, placing second was nothing to feel proud about.
“I was happy about my semifinals match,” said Woody (103 pounds) on Saturday at the University of Maryland?s Cole Field House. “I?m not happy now.”
After falling four points short to River Hill sophomore Scott Mantua in a 6-2 match, Woody ran off the mat, upset and disappointed.
Asked what she could have done differently, Woody gave a simple response: “Wrestle.”
Even though she just missed capturing a title in the finals, Woody?s performance throughout the state tournament wiped anyway any doubt that she belongs mentioned among the names of Maryland?s very best wrestlers, regardless of gender.
The first female countyand regional champion in Maryland history, Woody opened up her state tournament run with a pin of Magruder?s Davish Chasker and a 13-3 victory over Westminster?s Brian Lillehaug.
She knocked off Tuscarora junior C.J. Savage, 5-4, in overtime in the semi-finals, before falling to Mantua.
Mantua said he knew he needed to wrestle a “smart” match to defeat Woody, 18, who says she will take next year off before deciding where to wrestle in college.
“She?s a solid wrestler and she?s a smart wrestler,” Mantua said. “She?s tough.”
After placing second this year, Woody, a national female wrestling champion, said she can look back over her career against and see improvements. In her past two attempts at the state tournament, she had won only one match.
“I can say, ?I?ve done better,?” Woody said. “I went 0-2 two years ago. But second place isn?t what I wanted.”
