West pins down state championship

Katharina Santos, Staff Reporter|February 26, 2019

Senior Savannah West hugs head coach Cody Bridwell, as assistant coach Justin Koons looks on, after winning the final match locking in the state title. Losing in last year’s state finals, West’s victory was years in the making.

“I wanted to be a district place my sophomore year and I wasn’t able to, and that fueled my fire to do better junior year,” she said. “I worked my butt off junior year, and that got me to the state finals, and losing again, lit a fire under my butt. Eventually, it got me to the state finals again.”

For three years, the wrestling season ended in disappointment for senior Savannah West.

“

I had my mind set on that win and I did it.

— Savannah West

But Saturday was a day four years in the making as West battled through her last wrestling match of her career and was crowned 2019 5A 110 lb state champion.

After warming up, West knew she needed to stay focused to make it to the end.

“After I won my first match, I knew I had a hard one coming up and and it was going to be tough so I had to stay mentally ready,” she said. “I try not to get distracted by all the parents and everyone in the crowds so I took a moment to sit by myself and think through my matches and what I plan to do.”

Winning her next two matches with two more pins, it didn’t take West much longer to realize her wrestling dream was about to come true.

“After the first period of my finals match I was up 6-0 and I was pretty much dominating that first period,” she said. “I knew in my heart and told myself, ‘I’m winning this, I am not gonna lose, I am going to be state champ, I am going to dominate the rest of this match and I’m gonna win.’”

As the referee lifted her hand to mark her final win, West experienced a wave of emotions and gratefulness for her family and coaches.

“As soon as I won, I ran over to coach Bridwell and give him a big hug and it was such a great moment,” she said. “I then ran over to my mom and gave her a hug and we started crying together and it was just really amazing feeling.”

“

I still can’t believe I can say that I am now the best in the state of Texas and have my singlet on the wall in the wrestling hall,

— Savannah West

Although the last win of her career might not have been the most challenging, it held the most meaning.

“I had worked for this win for four years and now I can say that I am literally a state champion,” she said. “I still can’t believe I can say that I am now the best in the state of Texas and have my singlet on the wall in the wrestling hall, it truly means a lot to me.”

West is appreciative of the lessons she learned from wrestling and believes that it has impacted who she is as a person.

“Wrestling has made me a really hard working person in all aspects of my life and has made me disciplined in everything that I do with my job and school,” she said. “It has made me always wanting to be a better employee, student, daughter, sister and friend, along with teaching me that everything happens for a reason and eventually leads up to something big.”