FAYETTEVILLE -- Mayte Rodriguez tried her hand at football as an eighth-grader at Fayetteville's Ramay Junior High but knew that wasn't likely to last with her lack of size.
But wrestling has turned into the perfect fit for the sophomore, and she's hoping to make some history at today's inaugural Arkansas State High School Girls Wrestling Championships being held at the Stephens Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
"I wanted to give it a try," Rodriguez said. "I'm 5-3; I'm not gonna continue with football. It wasn't going to work. Wrestling's not easy. I've always been aggressive. I feel like I'm too aggressive for volleyball, basketball or soccer.
"It was the right choice for me."
She's got a perfect record of 25-0 and earned the top seed in the 140-pound weight class in today's state tournament. The 16-year-old claimed the 6A-West Conference title last weekend, earning a hard-fought win over previously undefeated Addison Loney of Van Buren in the finals.
Loney (18-1) earned the No. 2 seed, so she and Rodriguez could be on another collision course today.
Rodriguez's confidence has skyrocketed thanks a season filled with success against all-girls competition. As a freshman, Rodriguez took her lumps wrestling against mostly guys. But she found some success, finishing second in two all-girls events in Missouri.
The Arkansas Activities Association then became the 17th state to sanction high school girls wrestling over the summer, and the sport, just as it has done nationwide, has taken off in Arkansas.
Approximately 50 girls went through weight assessment to compete in high school wrestling in Arkansas a year ago. There are more than 130 entries in today's girls' state tournament.
She still credits those struggles against guys, who enjoyed a strength advantage despite being the same size, as being beneficial.
"I'm thankful for the times I have wrestled guys," Rodriguez said. "It's helped make me the wrestler I am today.
"I'm more confident to do certain moves. Now I'm not scared. I need to think in a tough situation and work my way out."
Rodriguez loves that the sport is growing. It means more competition, and she's all for that. There was a state tournament for girls last year, which included high school and youth wrestlers. She even won her weight class, but today will be different, Rodriguez said.
"I wrestled like two or three girls," Rodriguez said. "Does it really count? Being a state champion will count this time."
Fayetteville coach Casper Petty said Rodriguez has grown tremendously on and off the mat in a year.
"She's stepped into a leadership role with the girls," Petty said. "She loves to compete. It's exciting to me because she's so young."
One thing Rodriguez has learned is how to eat healthier and control her weight better. She competed at 152 a year ago but has dropped to 140 this season.
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The only real weight issue she's had this year was having to drop six pounds in a couple of days to make weight for the opening tournament of the season at Springdale Har-Ber.
"That was horrible," said Rodriguez, who now walks around a pound or two under the 140-pound limit. "I never thought I'd be this small, but I've worked hard."
She hopes all that hard work pays off with a state title today.
"I'm ready to give it my all," Rodriguez said. "It's a big deal. There's a lot of girls wrestling, and that means more competition."
But Petty said there's more opportunity for Rodriguez. He will start to discuss options for wrestling in college soon.
"I think this summer she will make a splash nationally," Petty said. "She has a lot of potential, and we'll work to get her name out there."
But first she will look to make history in Arkansas as one of the first 10 individual girls' state high school wrestling champions.
At a Glance
MAYTE RODRIGUEZ
SCHOOL Fayetteville
WEIGHT CLASS 140
NOTABLE Currently 25-0 with 24 pins on the season after winning the 140-pound weight class at last weekend’s 6A-West Conference tournament. … Won the Lady Wildcat Invitational on Nov. 23, which was the first all-girls tournament in Arkansas sanctioned by the Arkansas Activities Association. … The sophomore also won the Battle for the Bling event in Fayetteville and also claimed her weight class at the Branson (Mo.) Invitational. … Finished second in two all-girls tournaments as a freshman in Branson, Mo., and Springfield, Mo., competing at 152.
What: Inaugural Girls Arkansas High School State Wrestling Championships
Where: At Stephens Center, University of Arkansas-Little Rock
When: 11 a.m. today
Notable: First round of wrestling in 10 different weight classes begins at 11 a.m. … Championship round will begin at 5:30 with matches for first-, third- and fifth-place. … Van Buren’s Violet Summers earned the top seed in the 100-pound weight class while Fayetteville teammates Abbigail Fimbres (108) and Mayte Rodriguez were tabbed as top seeds in their respective weight classes along with Bentonville High’s Michelle Gonzales at 165.
Preps Sports on 02/20/2020
This story was originally published at 1:00 a.m.