Hailey Delgado, who will be a sophomore at Eastwood in the fall, claims the title of the 105-pound division of the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals
Hailey Delgado had won big wrestling tournaments all over the globe, but her victory in the 105-pound division of the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals this past weekend in Fargo, N.D. has a special place on her resume.
In terms of numbers, the 15-year-old El Paso wrestler has never competed in a larger tournament, which meant the six matches she won to claim her title was the most she's done in an individual tournament.
While Delgado has a greater love of team events, what thrilled her most about her weekend was the support of the other Texas wrestlers, who bonded as Team Texas.
"It feels surreal right now," Delgado said. "I've had my fair share of big tournaments, but nothing like this, the support of your entire state coming together. I could hear them, it was a wonderful feeling.
"This last week was really fun. It was a lot of training, a lot of just making sure I was in the right mindset to be ready to wrestle. It was a great experience being able to travel with all of my El Paso friends, then meeting up with some of the Texas girls."
Delgado, who a year and a half ago won a gold medal for Team USA in the U15 Pan American Championships in Panama City, Panama, closed out her run in North Dakota by beating New York's Gail Sullivan in a 7-0 decision for her sixth win of the tourney.
"In an individual tournament, this is most I've ever done," said Delgado, who won the state championship for Eastwood (High School) last year as part of a 42-0 season. "I'd never been to North Dakota before, so it was really nice to experience a new area. It was very beautiful up there, very green, and it was fun to get away from home."
Delgado plans on competing in a few more tournaments this summer before she begins her sophomore year at Eastwood, and she can feel her growth in the sport.
"Honestly the biggest change is on the mental side," Delgado said. "The fact that I've grown a deep connection and love for the sport — more than anything, all I think about all day is wrestling. I'm so excited to go to practice, so excited to go to work."
Delgardo's love showed in a commanding weekend in Fargo in one of the biggest events on the youth wrestling calendar.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at [email protected]; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso’s Hailey Delgado claims title at U.S. Junior Nationals wrestling
Category: General Sports