In ancient Rome, a Centurion was a military leader who commanded a group of 100 soldiers. While that title doesn’t directly apply to HHS senior Teagan Trenda, it isn’t entirely irrelevant. This season, Trenda eclipsed 100 career wins as a HHS wrestler, she commands respect in both practice and matches, and her coaches and teammates liken her to a “warrior.”
Trenda has followed a stellar fall soccer season that took her and her teammates to the state semi-finals by reaching an amazing milestone this wrestling season: She has amassed 101 victories in four seasons and lost only one match to a Greater St. Helens 2A opponent this season.
Her reputation as a fierce and skilled competitor, Trenda says, is due in part to her family and coaches. Her father, Tyler, is an assistant coach in the HHS Wrestling program and her younger brother, Colin, is also a HHS wrestler. Trenda says both motivate her daily and continually push her to higher levels of performance...and her coaches pick up where “Team Trenda” leaves off. “I owe a lot of my success to my coaches,” said Trenda. “They have done so much for me as a person and athlete. They have pushed me and made me comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Trenda is definitely comfortable on the mat, regardless of where it is. She is successful at home, away, in dual meets, tournaments, and in the post-season. Trenda has qualified for the State Wrestling Tournament three straight years, finishing 4th last year.
What lessons has she learned through sports? Trenda says that sports have shaped her character as a person, student, and athlete. In particular, she’s developed dedication, confidence, and a competitive mentality through practice. “My approach [to practice] is that no one is going to outwork me,” said Trenda. “I do extra conditioning and go to optional practices because I know that it’s going to give me an edge over my competition. When I step on the mat, I want to feel prepared and control the tone of the match with my energy and make [my opponent] respond and adjust,” she added. Trenda also pointed to the social benefits of sports, saying that regardless of whether it’s a team or individual sport, they’re all team sports to her because of the relationships she forms with her teammates and the team identity she shares with them. “I’ve made a lot of friends through wrestling and this team is like my family now,” said Trenda.
If you’re interested in watching Hockinson High’s “Centurion” you can follow Trenda at the Clark County Wrestling Tournament this weekend at Hudson’s Bay High School, the Battle at the Bridge next weekend at Hockinson High School, and the District Wrestling Tournament on Feb. 14, also at Hudson’s Bay. If you do, you will witness history in making. After all, Trenda has earned the distinction as the first female wrestler to represent HHS at the State Tournament as well as the first to win a Pac Coast Championship.
Regardless of how she finishes this season, Trenda says she is proud that she helped to establish Girls Wrestling at Hockinson High School. “When I started my freshman year, there were three other girls on the team. Now there are sixteen,” she said.
What does the future hold after wrestling season? Trenda says that she is going to take off the spring season and begin to plan for college, where she hopes to prepare herself for a career in law enforcement. She isn’t sure if she will have to use her wrestling skills as a police officer, but criminals beware…there is no doubt she will always be ready.