Apollo girls wrestler Pascual looks to continue breaking barriers following fourth place finish at state
OWENSBORO, Ky. (BVM) — Regardless of what she does with the rest of her time at Apollo High School, junior wrestler Araceli Pascual has already left her mark on the Eagles wrestling program. When Pascual joined the Eagles team last year as a sophomore, she became the first female on the Apollo team.
Not only did the move mark the first girl for Apollo, but it also made Pascual the only female wrestler in the entire Owensboro-Daviess County area. Coming from a family of wrestlers that included her older brother being a member of the team, Pascual knew what she was getting into.
“I remember in 2018 my cousin Samuel had a wrestling tournament at Apollo and my brother was there too and I just got excited and told my brother I wanted to try out and he said, ‘No, it’s just for boys,’” Pascual said. “So my friend and I wanted to try out and so we came and I guess that’s how it started and now I like wrestling.”
Wrestling in the 120-pound weight class, Pascual would rely on her teammates to help her prepare for matches against other male wrestlers, which made for a unique learning experience.
“At first, I thought it was going to be hard because it is all boys,” Pascual said. “But there’s some people who were teaching me everything, especially the coaches. I think that just made me better this year and made me want to wrestle. It was fun.”
The learning experience wasn’t only for Pascual. Her wrestling coach, Courtney Johns, also had to learn how to incorporate the newest member of the team. Though there was an adjustment period, Johns said the team was quick to take Pascual in and has become closer in the process.
“They all treat each other the same, whether they’re male or a female. It’s a really tight, close family,” Johns said. “At first it was a challenge because it’s different. But, everybody is comfortable with it now. We’re at a point right now where you don’t even notice the difference if there’s a girl in here or a boy in here. They all look at each other as the same.”
The first year was both a significant and special one for Pascual. She would battle as a member of the program throughout the entire season, with most if not all of her matches being against boys from other schools.
“At the beginning, I thought I was going to lose because it was boys,” Pascual said. “But, if I put my mind to it and put in hard work, I was going to be able to beat boys. My mindset was just to be positive and make sure I had fun and I could do it. I was inspired.
Pascual was selected to participate in the second-ever Kentucky Girls Wrestling Championship at Tates Creek High School in Lexington in February of 2020. Since girls wrestling is not yet a sanctioned sport by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, this was Pascual’s best chance to prove that she not only belonged on the wrestling mat, but was one of the best girl wrestlers in the state.
Pascual proved it and then some. Though she came into the tournament unseeded, the sophomore would upset No. 4 seed Tori Gasser of Harrison County in the second round following a first-round bye. In her second match of the day in the quarterfinals, Pascual was victorious over Ella Plumb of Fort Campbell. While she would lose in the semifinals to eventual 120-pound champion Savanna Bacon of Union County, she wouldn’t leave the tournament empty handed.
The sophomore would win in the consolation bracket over Gracie Savage from Woodford County before falling in the third place matchup, clinching a fourth-place finish. Although it wasn’t the finish Pascual had hoped for, to be able to win a medal in her first year at the high school level was an accomplishment she was proud of.
“Overall, I think it was fun and a great experience to have,” Pascual said.
Her finish has also opened new doors for members of her own team. Prior to her fourth-place finish, many people in the area didn’t know girls could even wrestle, let alone place in a statewide tournament. With some increased interest, Johns used Pascual’s finish as a way to encourage more girls to join his unit and now his team, which is comprised of both middle school and high school-aged students, has seen an increase in female members with three wrestling at the high school level and three at the middle school level.
“I would say she opened the door,” Johns said. “I was able to use [her finish] as a recruiting tool to bring more awareness for females. There is college wrestling for females in Kentucky so I used that as another avenue to talk with the females and saying if you stick with it and do well, you could get to college.”
Now a junior, Pascual will again look to make waves on the wrestling mat this upcoming season for Apollo. Her coach is excited to see, with a year of experience, how his first girl wrestler will be able to improve this year.
“Obviously with any athlete, the more you participate, the more years you put into it, the better you become,” Johns said. “I think she can [improve]. She thinks she can. Her whole demeanor is different this year. Last year, it was about getting confidence in her. This year, the confidence is there.”
Pascual is certainly brimming with confidence as she looks to improve on her finish from a year ago, regardless of who lines up against her.
“I expect to see more girls this year,” Pascual said. “I expect to beat some boys and go to girls’ state again and hopefully place first.”
As far as encouraging other girls to join the sport, Pascual had some advice for those girls looking to make the jump into the ring.
“Just do it,” Pascual said. “Put yourself out there. You don’t know what could happen. I placed fourth. That’s crazy. Don’t be afraid because it’s just boys. Girls can do it too. Both can do it.”
While officially sanctioned girls’ wrestling may still be a few years away for the Commonwealth, Apollo will continue to be working toward integrating more girls into the program thanks to Pascual. Though she may not have the opportunity to win an official KHSAA state championship, Pascual’s impact on Apollo will be felt for many years to come.
