Dulce Cornejo first heard of wrestling when she was in the fifth grade. With the sport now open to female competitors, she was interested but still too young to compete. Dulce asked her older sister to try the sport instead and report back to her. Her sister encouraged Dulce to join her middle school team at Bella Romero Academy as a sixth grader.

That first year, Dulce won the wrestling regional competition. Between her sixth and seventh grade year, she participated in as many wrestling camps as she could in order to improve. This year, as a seventh grader at Bella Romero, she won the state championship.

“I get nervous but I try to shake it off,” said the state champ. “When I go to the mat, everything is clear. I don’t think about anything else. I’m focused.”

Dulce said she is trying to encourage other girls to join wrestling teams.

“It’s very hard at first, but if you keep practicing, then you will get there.”

Dulce plans to continue wrestling through high school and even hopes to compete in college. She knows if she works hard, she can achieve her wrestling dreams.

“I feel really proud of myself because I really did improve during the year,” she said.