Alina Antillon set for historical run
Girls wrestling takes center mat.
What makes a girl wrestle?
In Alina Antillon’s case, she “constantly” was attending younger brother Gilbert’s practices, she said, and “I would be sitting there and had always talked about wanting to try it.”
So she did, here she is and the Mullen freshman will be there Saturday at Thornton High for what is being termed as a pilot program for girls wrestling to be sanctioned. At 136 pounds, Antillon is the lone Mustang female competitor and loving it.
“I guess I just love the challenge behind it and how it forces you to push yourself, just being able to push myself to my own limits and reaching beyond limits,” she said. “And do great things.”
The 14-year-old Colorado native, certainly a Double-A, has been moved like other girls of the sport’s sudden surge in popularity that’s arguably gaining its most attention.
“I think the fact that there have been girls pioneers encouraging girls to do it, especially with the first girl taking gold in the Olympics in 2016, and just bringing awareness makes girls do it and it’s not just a guys’ sport,” she said. “It helps encourage their friends to join.”
Friends with John Sumner, Mullen’s junior 145-pounder, since wrestling as youths for Pomona Elite, Antillon said “we talk about different techniques and moves.” She seems to understand tactics. “Definitely,” she replied when asked if there’s a big difference in female and male wrestling. “Boys and girls in general have different wrestling styles, probably things a girl would do the right way that a boy wouldn’t. There’s also a physical difference where the strength is … usually, girls are stronger with their hips and lower body, and boys are stronger with their upper body.”
Antillon has practice with the Mustangs boys in addition to her own workouts. She certainly understands what it’s like to feel alone in the sport, but it’s changing.
“I’m actually used to being the only girl because that’s how it was when I started with Pomona Elite,” she said. “It’s not anything new to me. It doesn’t bother me; I like it. And I do think it’s cool, but I would love to grow it at Mullen.”
So would a lot of others, including Mustangs athletic director Vince Massey, the former head coach.
“Alina is an incredibly competitive, driven wrestler,” he said. “She is as intense as any wrestler I’ve coached. She has fit in well with our team and is getting more coachable and more mat savvy with every match.
“With girls wrestling rising in our state, Alina is a rising star in this sport … she is gonna make a lot of noise in this sport before she is through.”
Just as interesting as a student, Antillon has a 4.0 grade-point average, and had a 4.2 GPA in the most recent marking period. She had attended the Academy of Charter schools as well as the Universal Learning Center online. A fan of “working ahead,” she said, she enjoys the Mullen atmosphere and its people.
With a 15-0 record during the regular season, she was 2-1 in regionals and will be in the opening round on Saturday at Thornton beginning at 10:30 a.m. Antillon will need three victories to become champion. The day will run into 4 p.m., when finals will begin and she wants to be there, wants to bring a title to Mullen, a unique one.
“It would be amazing to me,” she said, “because my ultimate goal is to win a state championship and be a four-time state champion.”
Massey wouldn’t be surprised.
“I believe she will be the first female state wrestling champion for Mullen,” he said. “She is gonna take the female division by storm.”
However, even if she does, don’t count on her continuing on the mat. No, Antillon has higher aspirations – she wants to become a brain surgeon and her education will always come first, unless the female wresting landscape changes.
“I’m striving to get into an Ivy League college and they don’t have wrestling teams,” she said. “They do have wrestling, such as Brown and Cornell, they have notable teams; they just don’t have girls wrestling teams yet, so I’m really more interested in the academic aspects of colleges. I’m not going to settle for a mediocre school that’s not as good.”
No one who knows her would think otherwise.
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