REPEATING FEAT AN EASIER TREAT
Nkechinyere Nwankwo dominated during a phenomenal run over the last year and a half, winning Class 5A girls state titles at 215 and 185 pounds while pinning most of her opponents and going 40-0 as a senior at Foster.
She dropped down in weight class in preparation for a college career at Oklahoma City, which Foster coach Jeff Rayome said widened the gap between Nwankwo and the opposition, and helped her earn the Chronicle’s All-Greater Houston Girls Wrestler of the Year.
“She’s above and beyond when it comes to athleticism,” Rayome said. “You talk about strength, speed and agility, and all that good stuff, and obviously she’s a step above everybody else who she’s wrestling. But she’s also way ahead in her technique. … So it’s a rare combination of being a superior athlete and having great technique.”
Q: What sparked your interest in competitive wrestling?
A: “Me and my brothers would always wrestle in the house, when we had carpet, but my oldest actually did it (as a senior at Foster), and he begged me enough, so I finally said yes and ended up loving the sport ever since.”
Q: You made state as a sophomore, but was there a learning curve the first year?
A: “We started off with your basic throws, but I always live at practice, so basically I got it down fast and it wasn’t too hard. I really wasn’t scared or overwhelmed. I just looked at my coach like, ‘All right, tell me where to go.’ ”
Q: What did it mean to you to win your first state title at 215 last year?
A: “That meant a lot. I honestly was so surprised. I was in shock. If you saw my picture, I was crying my eyes out. I didn’t think I could really get that far.”
Q: How did that experience affect your goals going into your senior year?
A: “That really pushed me and made me realize I can even do nationals and take this to college, which I am now. I used state as preparation mentally.”
Q: How did dropping to 185 affect your conditioning?
A: “Losing all that weight made my speed go up a lot. I was able to move better and hit my shots better, and it was a faster pace than the last weight class.” Q: Did it give you any advantage? A: “It gave me a bit of an advantage because of my strength wrestling at 215, … and it allowed me to use my technique more, instead of rushing through.”
Q: How important is it to have strength, athleticism and technique?
A: “The strength and athleticism will get you through the door, but what will really wrap it up is the technique, because against a really good wrestler, they know how to defend stuff and you’ve got to be ready to counteract it.”
Q: How did the second state championship compare to the first?
A: “I don’t want to sound cocky, but I knew I was going to win. I wasn’t going to underestimate anybody, because anything can happen.”