Becca Oetken

 Becca Oetken from Sheridan is our Featured Wrestler! Becca is a hammer on and off the mat and she game us some very insightful answers. Good luck the rest of the season Becca and also in the future!!

 -Favorite thing about wrestling? 

I could go on forever regarding my favorite things about wrestling. I really enjoy the hard work and dedication that it takes. It truly is a tough sport. It’s always a grind both on and off the mat. The commitment, self discipline, and mental toughness that comes with wrestling is a huge game changer for not just the sport itself, but for the rest of life. There is no better feeling than going into a match knowing that you put in the work, and you prepared yourself to be successful. It’s fun learning new moves, and advancing my skills. Another thing I love is the relationships I have built with other wrestlers on my team, in the state, and across the country.

 -Favorite past wrestler/coach?

 I don’t necessarily have a favorite past wrestler or coach. There are so many outstanding wrestlers that demonstrate great leadership, dedication, and passion for this sport that it's hard to pick just one. I only have praises to sing about every coach I have ever had. They are all my favorites! They are all very knowledgeable individuals that I trust and look up to. I appreciate the time they spend educating girls on sports psychology, weightlifting, nutrition, wrestling itself, and the efforts they make to help girls get more experience across the country. They coach out of love and push their athletes to not just be good at the sport, but to be good people. In my short amount of time wrestling, with much more to come, they have taught me so much, and I am thankful to have them as role-models in my life. I hope to give back to girls wrestling like they have.

 -Goal for wrestling, life, and career?

 This season, my goal is to finish as a 3-time State Champion. I want to help continue to grow Women’s Wrestling, and empower female athletes. Looking past high school, I am committed to North Central College in Naperville, Illinois to further my education and wrestling career. I am super excited and grateful to have the opportunity to keep developing my skills, and work towards becoming a better wrestler and person overall. In life, it’s hard to say exactly what the future holds, but my goal everyday is to demonstrate the courage and love that Jesus did, as well as trust in God’s plan for me. Career wise, I will be pursuing health science in hopes to become a Physical Therapist.

 -If you could teach a younger wrestler one thing, what would it be?

 Embrace the process and enjoy the journey because there is a lot to learn. Focus on doing the simple things right. Losses can be frustrating, but those are opportunities to learn and push yourself harder. It’s fun to win, but also learn to lose with grace and respect for others, especially towards other athletes, parents, coaches, and officials. We aren’t able to wrestle without them! Stay focused, and control the things you can control. Seek opportunities to compete against or learn from higher level athletes whenever possible. I have personally learned a lot from wrestling camps, regional, and national tournaments.

 -What was your wrestling background prior to starting high school wrestling?

 My first year wrestling was my sophomore year of high school. I knew nothing about the sport. My weights teacher at school, also the head coach of the boys wrestling team, told me every day that I should join the girls wrestling team because I was strong. With that, I enjoy trying new things so I started wrestling, and fell in love with it. At first, I was wrestling with a lot of physical strength, but shortly later, I began to understand the importance of advancing my technique and skills. My experience with swimming, softball, and volleyball had already shown me the value of hard work, perseverance, and commitment, so I think that contributed to my wrestling success so far as well.

 -Can you touch on what it meant to win a championship the first year that girls wrestling was a high school sport and also what it would mean to possibly finish your high school career with 3 titles?

 Winning a championship the first year that girls wrestling was a high school sport was such a surreal experience. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity women have to compete in this sport. My goal this season is to finish my high school career with 3 state titles, and I know that I will have to continue working hard both on and off the mat in order to achieve this. I look forward to wrestling in college next year, and I believe having a strong foundation in folkstyle will improve my ability to wrestle freestyle as well. Anything else that you would like to add or touch on? Never let any person, any obstacle, any fear, or negative voice keep you from becoming who you want to be. You get to decide that! 

GPA: 3.9 

Career Record: 107-14

Coach: Marcie Lane, Mark Lane, and Jory Wasserburger