Two Raiders wrestlers prepare for Olympic trials

Southern Oregon University is sending two of its women's wrestlers to Fort Worth, Texas, to compete for a spot on the United States Olympic Team.

Announcer says "now, from the jim sigel automotive sports desk, newswatch 12 sports with cameron derby."

The s-o-u women's wrestling team was dealt a tough hand this year.

They couldn't hold contact practices until just a few weeks before nationals.

Still-- the raiders produced a national champion.

Now-- two s-o-u women's wrestlers will wrestle on the biggest stage of their careers.

Newswatch 12 sports josh shelton has more.

5:09 esthela trevino: "it is a hard grind.

Wrestling is the hardest thing i've ever done in my life."

The pandemic and covid restrictions made things even harder for the s-o-u women's wrestlers.

For the vast majority of the time they weren't allowed any contact.

Then-- just weeks before the national tournament-- they finally could start wrestling again.

Fast forward to today-- two raiders wrestlers are gearing up for the olympic trials.

1:49 esthela trevino: "we just been practicing every day, wrestling practice every day, grinding hard practices every day.

Um, lifting a lot" according to head wrestling coach joel gibson-- this is the first time any s-o-u wrestlers qualified for the olympic trials.

Esthela trevino qualified last year and sienna ramirez's win at nationals punched her ticket to texas to compete for a spot on the u-s olympic team.

Ramirez actually credits this pandemic season to helping change her mindset on wrestling.

2:33 sienna ramirez: "being able to like eliminate all those like competition and meets and stuff, and just being there to grind and just get in shape.

And that was really fun.

Turned things around for me personally."

Gibson says two raider athletes now headed to compete with some of the best wrestlers in the world is a testament to the kind of program s-o-u has and continues to build on.

3:30 joel gibson: "i think it shows, you know, really how, how talented our team is because there's other girls that are at that level too.

It just didn't quite work out, but we're going to have more in the future."

For trevino and ramirez-- a chance to make some incredible memories while competing agains the very best in the united states.

2:50 sienna ramirez: "i just want to be able to leave knowing that i wrestled to the best of my abilities.

And then just being able to compete and watch those high level athletes.

Like these are olympic athletes that will be going to tokyo."

3:10 esthela trevino: "i mean, it makes me really happy that i'm able to be one of the first people and it brings a big name to our school and we definitely, i feel like we deserve it.

So, um, yeah, i'm really grateful to be able to do that for my team."

In ashland, josh shelton, newswatch 12 sports.

The trials start tomorrow in fort worth, texas.

Esthela trevino