By Lexi Foster, Staff Writer
The wrestler walks into the gym with confidence and focus. Competitors and fans stare in surprise and confusion. Contagious whispers break out and then, all of a sudden – courageous strangers come and ask the question: “What’s your name?”
Reagan Riddick.
What they really want to ask, of course, is why this freshman girl is competing in this male-dominated sport. Riddick always grabs the attention in the room, but it never fazes this phenomenal athlete.
“I always see them talking to one another and looking at me, then I know it’s about me,” Riddick said. “I don’t care because I’ve been in bigger areas and wrestled in national competitions.”
Riddick has only been wrestling for four years, but she has gone far beyond the accomplishments of the average 14-year-old athlete. At the 2019 National United Wrestling Association for Youth Summer Nationals (NUWAY) in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Riddick went 13-1 – her only loss coming to a junior who was ranked 13th in the country – but pulled through to become a two-time NUWAY champion.
Still, despite performing at that high level, Riddick has to prove herself all over again this year as she moves from middle school to high school competition.
“It’s gonna be a lot harder than any other season I’ve had because I am a freshman girl and I could be going against seniors or juniors with four more years of experience, but I can definitely see the improvements in my technique,” Riddick said.
With the season just getting started, Riddick and the team have high hopes in store. Returning sophomore Jack Hawbaker happens to not only be Riddick’s best friend and mentor, but also a top performer for the Nighthawks. He is confident this season will be something to watch, and not just because there’s a girl on the team.
Like his son, assistant coach Andy Hawbaker is optimistic about the Nighthawks’ abilities.
“The coaching staff has invested a lot of time adding new coaching methods to guide us into the future. We are looking to create a culture that will outlast the staff,” Coach Hawbaker said. “We will see individual success, and having Reagan is an asset. What’s a better way to motivate a high school boy to work harder than getting outworked by a girl?”
Riddick can’t avoid the gender stereotypes on the mat. At some matches, her opponent will choose to forfeit rather than risk losing to a girl, or risk ridicule for not beating the girl convincingly enough.
Through it all, she continues to work on what she can control: Strength, conditioning, perfecting moves. At times, Riddick had doubts about wrestling, but her biggest supporters and source of inspiration keep her motivated.
“I have a little cousin that just started wrestling. Her name is Ansley. She was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 6 but she just beat it,” Riddick said. “She’s always wanted to wrestle and now she can finally. She even attended one of the biggest national tournaments in the country recently. She was a beast – she handled chemo, took her medicine and it paid off, which has always inspired me to stay strong.”
Motivation like that can lead to a successful season for any athlete in any sport – no matter their gender. Riddick sees herself as just another wrestler, no matter the stares and whispers.
“You’re no different from any other guy or girl,” she said. “You can do anything you set your mind to with hard work, focus and the drive to make your goal.”
Junior Lexi Foster can be reached at 21fosterle79@daretolearn.org.
