Jenna Pavlik finished second at the Cadet World Championships in Poland. She was a member of the U.S. World Team.
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Jenna Pavlik finished second at the Cadet World Championships in Poland. She was a member of the U.S. World Team. |
Lodz, Poland - After an eight-and-a-half-hour flight to Warsaw, Poland, the U.S. Women’s Cadet National Wrestling Team boarded a bus for a two-hour drive to Lodz. On the bus was Lewes’ Jenna Pavlik, the nation’s 154-pound representative at the Cadet World Championships, held Aug 5-7.
“It was just awesome. I can’t describe in words what I felt to represent my country,” Pavlik said.
She brought home the silver medal in her weight class and helped the U.S. to a second-place finish, behind Russia.
Pavlik earned her spot on the team in June when she captured the cadet national title with a 12-2 technical fall over Elizabeth DeRoy of Rosamond, Calif.
The U.S. was represented by seven women ages 14 to 16. It didn’t compete at three weights.
Mary Kelly of Mahaomet, Ill., won the only American gold while Melina Huchison of Sodotna, Alaska, joined Pavlik in winning silver. Erin Tomeo of Volant, Pa., and Marcie VanDusen of Twin Peaks, Calif., each finished third.
Pavlik prepared for the event by working out at the Sussex County Wrestling Club with the Kurt Howell, head coach at Indian River High School.
“I also rolled around with Theron (her older brother) at home,” Pavlik said.
But the tournament did not start as she desired.
“I was winning 12-4, but ended up getting pinned by a Norwegian wrestler,” Pavlik said.
With a 1-1 record in her pool, Pavlik qualified for the medal round, where she pinned Raia Raytchovia of Bulgaria and won 7-3 over Hana Wirthova of Czechoslovakia to qualify for the world-championship final.
She lost the title bout to Natalia Gavrilova of Russia 6-0.
“Every girl is tough. They are all national champs, so you can’t take anyone lightly,” Pavlik said.
She has another year of eligibility as a cadet, but the U.S. has no plans to send a team to the world championships next year.
“I will have to move up to the 17-to-20-year-old division next year to compete at the world championships,” Pavlik said.
She plans to attend more female-only wrestling events in the fall before the start of her junior wrestling season at Cape Henlopen High.
“I am switching from volleyball to cross country in September to get in better shape for wrestling,” Pavlik said.
Pavlik said that the trip was not all about wrestling for her.
“The language barrier was tough. Nobody spoke English,” Pavlik said.
She also noticed a slight difference in the food.
“Even at McDonald’s, a hamburger just didn’t taste the same,” Pavlik said.