Isabella Gonzalez '21 Recruiting Profile

I started wrestling my freshman year in high school. Before wrestling, I played softball for six years. In middle school, I did not know that wrestling was even an option for high school sports. While watching U.F.C 192 in 2015 is when I started to appreciate the sport of M.M.A. I had told my parents that I could see myself competing in the U.F.C and they called me crazy since it is very dangerous. When I told them about joining my school's wrestling team, they allowed me to try it out and I fell in love with the sport. My freshman year was one of the most valuable learning years in my life. I learned that it does not matter how many years of experience you have but how much work and effort you put in. The progress I have made since freshman year (when I would be called for stalling) to now my junior year (when I can pin a girl in under a minute) shows the amount of dedication I have put into this sport. If I am not at school or studying, I am either on the mat or at the gym. Wrestling is an addiction for me, one that has led me to be apart of national and international teams outside of school. To me, my teams are my family. Being a captain I learned that for a team to strive it is a must to encourage and motivate others to be their very best selves, on and off the mat. Having me on your team will be a decision you will not regret. I am always eager to learn more and I would love to continue being in this sport for as long as I can. As for my academic goals, I am aiming towards a degree in the S.T.E.M or medical field. I understand that time management is a valuable skill when being a student-athlete. My overall college goal is to study something I am passionate about, as they say, "if you find a job you love it is no longer a job anymore".