Prep of the Week: Annabelle Petsinger

(ABC 6 News) — The Petsinger surname has a well-established legacy at NRHEG Wrestling; yet, the one thing Dan, Matt and James weren’t able to do was win a state title.

That is until Annabelle Petsinger, their niece, finally did on March 4th this year.

“Statistically, she’s better on her feet and on top than she is on the bottom,” Panthers head coach Shawn Larson noted. “And she found a way to get two reversals in that match which is actually a big deal. She improved her position on the bottom and fought from all positions for the entire match.”

Petsinger won the MSHSL Girls 120-lb Championship, the first-ever girls’ championship for Panthers Wrestling. It’s a historical win in more ways than one, however, if you speak with Petsinger about it, she’s more concerned about how she claimed victory.

“I’m really happy about it, but not exactly happy with my execution of the matches,” Petsinger stated. “The day of, it’s just, ‘I got it done, I won the match.’ Looking back at it, I’m already trying to pick apart what I did wrong so that I can start fixing it over the summer.”

Ever dedicated to her craft, she’s always put in the hours since joining Panthers Wrestling in seventh grade. Even before becoming a high schooler, she was dead serious when it came to the sport.

“The point where I got serious was in third grade when I was weighing myself on the scale,” Petsinger recounted. “And I was 65 pounds and I’m like, ‘How am I going to weigh in for 106 if I’m only 65 pounds?'”

“Her tenacity is above everybody else,” Coach Larson continued. “It doesn’t matter if she’s playing Monopoly, it doesn’t matter if she’s running cross-country or academics. She wants to be the best that she can be and she’s going to put it out there and nobody’s going to stop her.”

While Petsinger’s not satisfied with just one state title, she may not be the only one with a girl’s championship when her high school career is finished. Her success may lead other girls to take up the sport one day. Whether they stumble or triumph, Petsinger believes it is all worth it and wouldn’t change a thing about her experience.

“If you’re out there and you’re thinking about trying wrestling as a girl, go ahead and do it,” Petsinger said. “Worst you can do is get your butt handed to you which I’ve had happen quite a few times.”