| Growing up in Hawai’i, I was always, in a sense, treated like one of the “guys,” mainly because the majority of my family members around my age are males, and I would always hang out with them. If the boys went scrambling at mudpress with quads, I was doing it too. If they wanted to “throw net” (catchfish in a net) in the ocean, I would too. So naturally, when my brother (Kaizehya) decided to try Jiu-Jitsu, when I was 8th grade, of course I wanted to as well. Although I practiced Jiu-Jitsu for only 7 months, I really enjoyed it. My Freshman year of high school, both my mom (Nekita) and Aunty (Nitra) thought it would be a good idea to try out wrestling since I liked Jiu-Jitsu so much, but I didn’t want to. |
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| During my Sophomore year of high school, I decided to go out for wrestling and once I did, I instantly regretted not going my Freshman year. My interest in wrestling spiked as I learned more about it, but also because of the high intensity drilling and having to push myself past mental and physical breaking points, being able to get through it and come back stronger. I wrestled at 115 lbs, and then during my Senior year I was at 122lbs. I Placed 3rd at Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIFs) for both Sophomore and Senior years. I was unable to wrestle my Junior year because of the COVID shutdowns. |
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| I decided to attend UNLV this year to Major in Special Education, with the plans of becoming a Special Education teacher. Once I found out UNLV had women’s wrestling, I knew I wanted to join. It was nerve-racking, meeting a whole new team, but it was a smooth adjustment. My former high school teammate (Melo Castillo) also started wrestling for UNLV last year, so it was nice seeing a familiar face. |
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| The Coaches here at UNLV (James Downing, Jordan Karst, and Genaro Lopez) are very welcoming.They continue to open my eyes to different styles and technical moves in wrestling, which makes me more interested in the sport. This year, as a Freshman at UNLV, I wrestled at 136 lbs, where I was the West Coast Conference Champ. I made it to Nationals, which was held in Puerto Rico this year and was one match away from becoming an All-American, but I lost in Blood Rounds by decision. I ended my first College Season with a 10-2 record. |
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I love wrestling, but my teammates and coaches throughout the years are what helped shape me into the wrestler I am today. As my high school coach (Tyler Kahanu) used to say, “Be aggressive and never give up, never settle, and always stay focused.”
Respectfully,
Ryliaby |
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