BRUSH PRAIRIE — Again in January when three-time Washington highschool state wrestling champion Religion Tarrant earned her a centesimal profession pin, she referred to as that day a top-10 second in her younger 17 years.
It wasn’t due to the accomplishment, however as a result of she met her wrestling idol and an athlete she aspires to be.
Ask Tarrant about Amit Elor, a 21-year-old Californian who received Olympic Gold in ladies’s freestyle wrestling ultimately summer time’s Paris Olympics, and the Prairie Excessive senior talks at size in regards to the champion’s impression.
The factor is Tarrant’s impression on others is simply as nice.
Just like the time a teenager approached Tarrant at a event, beaming with pleasure assembly the multi-time state champion. Or when Tarrant’s go to to one in every of Prairie’s feeder center faculties ended with a hug from a future Falcon, who defined that Tarrant is why the woman picked up wrestling.
Tarrant doesn’t take these moments with no consideration.
“It really makes me reflect on how much of an influence I have on people and the wrestling community,” she mentioned. “I didn’t realize how much I impacted people.”
Tarrant’s accomplishments communicate volumes. Already a three-time state champion at 235 kilos, she’s aiming to be simply the twenty third wrestler all-time — girls and boys — to win 4 state titles. Mat Basic 36 runs subsequent Thursday by Saturday in Tacoma.
Ought to Tarrant full the feat, it not solely would put her among the many state’s all-time greats, but additionally cement her as the one Clark County wrestler to be a four-time champ.
Tarrant is proud to be a wrestler and characterize Prairie. That illustration additionally extends past sports activities. She’s Prairie’s pupil physique president; her friends elected Tarrant in solely her second yr in pupil authorities.
She’ll graduate in June as one of many faculty’s most embellished athletes ever. Extra importantly, additionally a well-spoken chief pushed to form others to be the most effective model of themselves, Prairie college students mentioned.
In class and on the mat.
“She is a leader,” mentioned teammate Mira Thompson, a state-bound wrestler at 170 kilos. “She treats everyone with such respect, and she knows that if we are holding ourselves accountable, she brings that up. And she tells us when we aren’t being accountable for ourselves, so we can push ourselves further and keep lifting each other up.”
FIRST PERIOD
Southwest Washington grew to become house to the state’s first four-time champion when Pat Connors of R.A. Lengthy received titles from 1991-94.
Since then, 22 different wrestlers statewide have received 4 titles, together with 4 on the ladies aspect. The truth is, subsequent weekend might see two ladies in the identical classification cap their careers with a fourth title. Libby Roberts of Spokane’s College Excessive goes for her fourth after successful three at 105 kilos.
Tarrant doesn’t personally know Roberts however mentioned when she and Roberts are on the identical event, Tarrant watches Roberts compete as a result of expertise acknowledges expertise.
“She’s a really good wrestler,” Tarrant mentioned. “She’s very clean in the way she wrestles and is very smart.”
Washington grew to become the primary highschool state affiliation to debut a ladies state wrestling event in 2007. Extra states adopted, together with neighboring Oregon in 2024.
The game’s recognition in Washington — particularly for women — continues to soar. Mat Basic is now a three-day occasion with expanded brackets throughout all classifications. New on the ladies’ aspect are tournaments for 4A, 3A and 2A/1A/2B/1B, a rise from an all-classification occasion from 2007-22.
Tarrant glows when talking on the expansion of ladies wrestling. Earlier than arriving at Prairie in 2021 to start highschool in a brand new state, she shined in youth wrestling, then starred at left sort out on the offensive line in center faculty rising up in Colorado.
She nonetheless reminisces what soccer’s toughness and teamwork taught her, however the competitors, camaraderie and neighborhood of wrestling is what Tarrant cherishes.
“There’s no other sport where you’re around people six days a week sweaty, nasty and gross,” she mentioned. “Everyone seems to be so supportive as a result of it’s so bodily arduous. … No one else understands that wrestling is tremendous arduous, and we bond over the truth that it’s arduous.
“I like to be challenged, and I love to compete. I get that from wrestling that I haven’t gotten from any other sport I’ve played.”
For a latest project in English Communications class, Tarrant wrote a paper highlighting Elor, the Olympic gold medalist whom Tarrant met at January’s Intestine Test Problem. There, the 2 spoke at size, posed for images and Elor autographed Tarrant’s winner’s belt with a personalised congratulatory message.
Tarrant mentioned Elor is a supply of inspiration and aspires to observe the same path as a result of she believes Elor is a mannequin of what a world-class athlete is.
“She gives every girl like me the opportunity to be in a positive community and thrive as a woman in athletics,” Tarrant mentioned.
SECOND PERIOD
Final spring, recent off Tarrant’s second undefeated season and third state title, Prairie’s pupil physique voted Tarrant as ASB president for 2024-25. She served as junior class president as a pupil authorities newcomer.
Junior Itzel Contreras, ASB’s present vice chairman, urged Tarrant to be her working mate in what’s now the Tarrant-Contreras Administration at Prairie. Tarrant’s wrestling accomplishments and love for Prairie made Contreras imagine Tarrant to be the perfect match to guide the coed physique.
Tarrant hasn’t dissatisfied.
“I knew she could make a huge difference in the position that she’s in right now,” Contreras mentioned. “I wanted to work with someone who knows what motivation is, what hard work is, and what dedication is.”
Relying on the day, Prairie’s ASB class has varied on-going tasks and duties. That features planning for upcoming faculty occasions, and extra lately, serving to incorporate Battle Floor Public Colleges’ new pilot program for social emotional studying (SEL). On Fridays, the category does staff bonding workout routines for pupil engagement.
At a latest class, Tarrant and Contreras led a class-long train on friendship. Contreras mentioned Tarrant’s impression on the category and college is seen due to the motivation to make Prairie a greater place.
“Sometimes,” Contreras mentioned, “it’s really hard to find somebody with that amount of maturity as someone who wants to work hard.”
Each Tarrant and Contreras are college students of colour. Tarrant highlighted the significance of scholars seeing range in management roles. One in all Tarrant’s objectives in ASB is to showcase what management means so all college students can enhance others’ lives.
“I can teach you how to order supplies off Amazon or to put up prom,” Tarrant mentioned, “but how can I teach you to be a good leader, do the right thing, and encourage you to genuinely be a good person?”
For years, folks instructed Tarrant she was a pacesetter in wrestling and it now goes past that. With out hesitation, Tarrant mentioned attending Prairie has modified her life as a result of it opened her eyes to new alternatives.
“I didn’t realize until I met some of the people that I know now that all the things I’m capable of here,” she mentioned. “I’ve by no means been instructed I’m incapable of doing one thing.
“There’s no such thing as no goal is impossible here.”
THIRD PERIOD
USA Wrestling ranks Tarrant No. 8 nationally for her weight class. Her highschool profession document is 109-3. She surpassed 100 profession pins in January and hasn’t misplaced a match since freshman yr.
In Prairie’s second-floor mat room, massive posters of its state champions are displayed. Earlier than 2022, the yr Tarrant received her first title and then-senior Alex Ford received the 3A boys 160-pound title, Prairie’s final state champion was Jay Rogers in 1986 and 1987.
How do longtime Prairie coach Rob Smith and ladies coach Cailey Mendez hold Tarrant challenged in a profession dominated by dominance? It begins by holding her to the identical commonplace as everybody else. No particular therapy right here.
“There’s no expectations,” he mentioned.
Thompson, Prairie’s state qualifier at 170, is Tarrant’s apply accomplice. The freshman mentioned she’s a greater wrestler due to Tarrant and works her senior teammate arduous by defending every little thing Tarrant throws Thompson’s method.
“And if she gets it, then she gets it,” Thompson mentioned, “and then she knows how to defend harder wrestlers.”
One other apply accomplice is Aaliyah Younger, a 2024 Prairie graduate who positioned fourth at state final yr at 170. She and Tarrant grew to become buddies in 2021 when Tarrant joined the staff. Now that Younger is a volunteer coach, her mission with Tarrant hasn’t modified.
“We’re there for each other,” Younger mentioned, “and we really work through anything with each other.”
Smith, who’s led Prairie wrestling for 21 seasons, calls Tarrant a affected person wrestler. She was fast ultimately weekend’s 4A/3A state-qualifying district meet, pinning Shelton’s Aurora Marcy in 43 seconds for first place.
Smith mentioned Tarrant is able to fast pins, however that’s not her strategy. Persistence is an effective high quality to have, he mentioned.
“She will stalk her opponent and get them to where she wants them,” Smith mentioned. “She’s not rushing into anything.”
The subject of going for a fourth state title comes up steadily in Tarrant’s circles. She stays poised, humbled and assured in her talents.
That goes for main a college and being on the mat — all whereas on the lookout for the subsequent alternative to encourage and impression.
Stated Tarrant: “I’ve never been one to settle.”