Women’s wrestlers, Peyton Conway and Ascenzi Callahan, competed at the 8a state championship last week. Women’s wrestling is growing sport as it’s only been a sanctioned high school sport by the NCHSSA since the 2023-2024 season. These two athletes have worked hard throughout the entire season and have truly made history at Green Level.
Ascenzi Callahan won the state title in an intense match. Wrestling is not only challenging physically, but also mentally. Preparation starts early and you have to stay strong throughout. Callahan has been training non-stop for months.
“Over the summer, I’ve been going to wrestling practice at Capital City Wrestling Club,” said Callahan, “I always pushed myself as hard as I possibly could at practice. Even over the longer breaks, I’d find another way to get conditioning or a lift in.”
Preparation leading up to states is even more intensive. Callahan had to prepare for the toughest components in the state, probably some of the toughest she’s ever faced. The Green Level wrestling team had an impressive strategy to get her ready for the challenge. In practice Callahan would wrestle with a guy much heavier than her.
“I don’t think I realized how much of an impact that had because I went from wrestling a man who was better than me and 10-15 pounds heavier to wrestling girls who are my weight.” Callahan said.
As a sophomore, Callahan recognizes how far she’s come since her freshman season. In a sport that requires pure dedication, she has not wavered, and a state title is the ultimate reward.
“Not only to improve so much from last year but to win a state title, it means a lot to me,” said Callahan. “It shows that all the work I’ve put in has really paid off.”
Through all the hours spent training and every exhausting match, Callahan had one thing in mind, a state title. Ascenzi’s sister, Green Level alum Ava Marie Callahan, was a state champion for the gymnastics team. Ascenzi has been dreaming of following in her footsteps and getting on the state champions wall in the athletics hallway at Green Level.
“The entire season I wanted to get on that board,” said Callahan. “In my finals match, I was on my back about to lose, and I just kept thinking about that and saying to myself, ‘I’ve got to win, I’ve got to win’.”
For Peyton Conway, runner up in her weight class at the state championship, her motivation was about proving to herself and to her team that it was possible. As a junior, Conway has been a part of the wrestling team in its early stages. She’s helped to grow the program and it’s athletes.
Conway said, “Ascenzi and I have always had a bond, we always find a way to hype each other up and get ready for our matches.”
As this season continued, they both started to see a state championship as not just a dream, but an attainable goal. When they finally got to compete on such a big stage, it was incredibly rewarding.
“It was unreal, it was really awesome,” said Conway. “At the beginning of the season, it felt like a joke about if we could go to states, but actually making it there showed it was truly possible.”
Along with the sport of women’s wrestling, both Conway and Callahan have grown immensely since they started. They’ve learned how to push themselves to their breaking point and fight back, even after a loss. Wrestling is a truly individual sport, you cannot rely on anyone else. Conway has learned that losing a few matches is unavoidable, but what’s important is how you bounce back.
“You have to know that you’re going to lose, especially if you’re new to the sport. It’s inevitable, we all lose, you just have to keep going and push through.” said Conway.
These athletes have made history at Green Level, and are a sign of the growth and success of women’s wrestling in its third season. Congratulations to these athletes, you are truly an inspiration!
