Takedown Report

Michigan girl overcomes diabetes, stereotypes to earn national wrestling honor

SPARTA, MI – When Rayana Sahagun was 5 years old, she received a flyer at school that introduced the young students to a pair of extra-curricular activities. On one side was information about cheerleading, and on the other was information about wrestling. The sport might not have been the most popular with her girl classmates, but it immediately captured Sahagun’s interest. “I thought wrestling sounded cool,” she said.

That 8-by-11-inch sheet of paper opened the door to a career that has pushed her athletic limits, motivated her to challenge gender stereotypes and brought her to the highest levels of junior wrestling. In late July, Sahagun earned All-American honors by placing second at USA Wrestling’s Junior Women’s Nationals in Fargo, N.D., battling her way through the 64-person field before falling to three-time national champion Sage Mortimer, of Utah. Her run to the finals included an upset win over the nation’s sixth-ranked wrestler in the semifinals, but that match was only the latest obstacle she has overcome in her 12-year grappling career. Rest of the story at https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2019/08/michigan-girl-overcomes-diabetes-stereotypes-to-earn-national-wrestling-honor.html?mc_cid=a2823021b7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

August 14, 2019 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized