Pioneer Valley High School senior Tiffany Santana is wrapping up her Panthers wrestling career in dominating fashion.
Santana helped Pioneer Valley take first place at the Central Coast Wrestling Tournament at Nipomo High School on Jan. 30, and she will bring her 26-3 record this season into the CIF Southern Section Northern Regional Tournament on Feb. 6 at Pioneer Valley.
“It will be a tough couple weeks coming in,” said the three-year varsity wrestler. The CIF tournament is followed by the state tournament and then, if Santana qualifies, nationals in Oklahoma City.
Qualifying for both the state and national tournaments has been a goal of Santana’s all season.
Pioneer Valley coach Kevin Ilac told the Sun that Santana’s lofty goals are all a part of her sky-high confidence level, a product of gaining wrestling experience and embracing her potential.
“Part of it was knowing she had the ability to beat certain wrestlers,” Ilac said. “She used to kind of psyche herself out. But last year, you saw her put it all together, and realize, ‘I can do this.’”
On the way to her goals, Santana will most likely have to face a familiar opponent: one of the best wrestlers in the state, Gahr High School’s Ophelia Lara. Santana has crossed paths with Lara three times already this season in the 150-pound weight class—accounting for Santana’s three losses.
“We’re always going head-to-head,” Santana said. “I’ve slowly been catching up and catching up [to her].”
Though Santana also plays volleyball and basketball, she said wrestling is her all-time favorite sport.
“I love the competitiveness,” Santana said. “It’s individual. You set goals and work hard to push yourself to get where you want to be.”
Juggling wrestling with schoolwork and family commitments isn’t always an effortless joy. Santana finds herself stretched thin at times.
“There’s a lot of us here—I have six brothers and sisters,” Santana said. “My aunts and other relatives are really close too. We’re all pretty close and always together. It’s all worth it in the end.”
Looking to the future, Santana has her eye out for a wrestling scholarship that would help her make her way through college.
“College is really expensive, so if I get a good scholarship then I’d definitely want to wrestle,” Santana said.
This article appears in Feb 4-11, 2016.
