Captain Juliana Olivo places second in state wrestling championship

Senior wrestling captain Juliana Olivo placed second in state after taking first at district and second at regionals.

“I felt like I could’ve done better, but I was proud of myself,” Olivo said. “I’m the first one [McCallum] ever had in the [state] championship.”

Olivo, along with her senior co-captain Julyssa Boortz, have been wrestling with coach Ray Amaro and assistant coach Richard Salazar for three years.

“[Their] wrestling has improved immensely and [they’ve] also improved as people,” Salazar said.

Boortz said Amaro is very strict with the wrestlers.

“[Coach Amaro] is always on us for grades, for behaviors, being leaders in class,” Boortz said. “We cannot get caught doing anything or we will be kicked off.”

Captains are chosen by the team but are ultimately up to coach Amaro.

“I felt excited [when they voted me captain],” Olivo said. “I guess they look up to me and trust me to show them [what to do].”

Wrestling training includes strength training and being physically fit.

“This sport is not for wienies,” Boortz said. “It’s a lot of cardio and strength training.”

Bootz’s younger sister, sophomore Adriana Boortz, began wrestling because of her sister and may take over as one of the captains when her sister and Olivo graduate.

“I started wrestling in my freshman year,” Adriana said. “My sister told me they needed a 95-pounder, and I was 97 pounds, so I did it.”

The wrestling team runs at least a mile before cardio and strength practice every day.

“I train every day even if we don’t have practice,” Olivo said. “I still run at least three miles a day.”

The wrestling drills usually consist of 15-second, 30-second, 1-minute and 2-minute take downs to resemble an actual match intensity level every day.

“You learn to love it,” Adriana said. “It’s a love-hate type of thing, like when you’re cutting weight, but when you win it’s the best feeling ever.”

Both Julyssa and Adriana said they appreciated these drills when they both placed in their district competitions.

“[Wrestling] is a very independent sport,” Adriana said, “which is why a lot of people don’t do it.”

Although it’s an independent, one-on-one sport, the team trains together, and members help each other with training and weight issues when they need it.

“We’re like a family in a team,” Olivo said. “We help each other and push each other to be better wrestlers and people.”

Because the seniors are about to graduate, Amaro has been more observant and is starting to choose new captain candidates for next year.

“[Coach Amaro] is choosing captains based off of behaviors, leadership and how they wrestle,” Adriana said. “Also how they interact with the team and how they help run the team.”

The coaches push the team to work together and encourage each other to be the best. The coaches also said they made the right decision making Boortz and Olivo captains.

“I thought it was a great choice [to make Olivo and Julyssa captains],” Salazar said. “They both have different characteristics they bring to the table, so I think they mesh well together as captains.”

Both Julyssa and teammate Christian Alfaro said they believe wrestling should be given more recognition.

“If you see a wrestler, give them the respect they deserve,” Julyssa said. “They work their butts off doing what they love.”