Trabuco Hills senior Kylee Golz is not interested in avoiding the best competition.
If Golz is on the road to a girls wrestling state championship, it will be via the most challenging path possible.
“I easily could have gone to 115 pounds this year,” Golz said. “But I like a challenge, and I’m going after Isabella.”
“Isabella” is Clovis East senior Isabella Gonzales. Golz lost to Gonzales in the finals of last season’s CIF State Championships in the 115-pound class.
Gonzales is wrestling in the 120-pound class this season. So is Golz.
It’s been a great senior year for Golz. She is 28-1, including a recent first-place finish in the Ayala Tournament, where she defeated the defending Nevada state champion at 120 pounds.
Golz also was the 120-pound champion at the Lady Big Kat and Walnut Girls Invitational tournaments.
Her only loss this season was to Gonzales by a 6-0 decision in the finals of the Queen of the Hill tournament at Corona High on Dec. 28.
Eric Golz wanted his children to learn jiu-jitsu so Kylee got started in that martial arts discipline at age 7. A couple of years later, her jiu-jitsu coach suggested she give wrestling a try.
As an eighth-grader Golz finished second in a wrestling tournament in Las Vegas. That solidified it – she had found her sport.
“I like it because it’s an individual sport,” she said. “When you win and you get your hand raised, whether it’s for a championship or in the first round, it’s amazing. You know you’re the one who made it happen.”
Golz has been outstanding throughout her high school career. She finished fifth in the CIF State tournament as a freshman, finished third as a sophomore and placed second last year.
Golz won CIF Southern Section titles in the Southern Division as a sophomore and junior. She also was a CIF Southern Section Masters champion both years.
Golz stands 5-foot-1, has a 4.0 grade-point average and has a brother, David, who also is in the Trabuco Hills wrestling program.
She is undecided about her college destination. A reason Golz got into wrestling was for the growing number of college scholarship opportunities that are in women’s wrestling.
She is her own best motivator and inspiration, and is focused on the upcoming postseason events — CIF-SS Individual Championships (Feb. 14-15), Masters Meet at Sonora High (Feb. 21) and the CIF State meet in Bakersfield (Feb. 27-March 1).
“I’ve written down a lot of affirmations and goals,” she said. “I have them on my wall and I look at them every day.”
And she is not ducking the competition in pursuit of those goals.
Related Articles
High School Sports | Orange County boys athlete of the week: Khale McDonnell, Fountain Valley High School Sports | Khale McDonnell leads Fountain Valley boys wrestling to fourth place in formidable Five Counties meet High School Sports | Orange County boys wrestling rankings, Jan. 15 High School Sports | Five Counties tournament at Fountain Valley again attracts top wrestlers and teams High School Sports | Fountain Valley boys wrestling team pursuing another CIF-SS championship Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Trabuco Hills wrestler Kylee Golz isn’t dodging the toughest competition as she pursues state title )
Also on site :