'She made history!' Shyra Randle places 7th at state wrestling championships
Senior is first Natomas High girls wrestler to place in top eight
Shyra Randle captured the seventh-place match at the CIF California State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield on Saturday night, becoming the first girls wrestler in Natomas High School history to place at the tournament.
“I feel like all my hard work paid off,” said Randle, who finished her Natomas High career by pinning Olivia Faust of Buchanon High-Clovis late in the second period in the 155-pound division. “It was rewarding.”
Randle admitted being nervous entering the final day, needing one victory to become the first Natomas High wrestler — boys or girls — to place in the top eight since 2013, when Jordan Sepeda finished sixth in 220 pounds.
“I thought I was kind of going to lose my match,” Randle said. “So I told my family not to come and I was telling my friends not to come. If I lose, they would have drove 4-and-a-half hours just to have to turn right back (to Sacramento).”
Instead, by winning her first consolation match Saturday at Mechanics Bank Arena, the senior guaranteed a top-eight finish. Randle overcame an early 5-1 deficit with takedowns and a late near fall to defeat Jaslynn Aken of American Canyon, 12-5.
“She made history!” Natomas High head coach Marcus Young yelped after the match, standing beside daughter and assistant coach Renée Young.
Natomas High has had eight boys wrestlers place in the state championships, with Vlad Dombrovskyy capturing the lone state title in 2008 in the 140-pound division.
Randle, the No. 8 seed after capturing the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters title last week, then lost to No. 2 seed Symone Jewell of Northgate-Walnut Creek to fall into the seventh-place match. She finished 5-2 for the tournament, improving on the 2-2 record she posted as a sophomore at the state championships.
“I couldn’t be more proud of her,” Renée Young said. “She’s come a long way from being silly and goofy. … Seeing that mind switch of wanting to come early, wanting to stay later and to work with coaches nonstop. I love her grind. I love her hard work.”
After the seventh-place win, Marcus Young spun around and let out a scream. “Let’s go!” the coach shouted before embracing the school’s most decorated girls wrestler.
“I think it’s her tenacity,” Young said of what sets Randle’s ability apart, adding that the coaching staff doesn’t favor any kid. “I think it’s her ferociousness. She could be as nasty as the best of them, and I think that’s what sets her apart. She has a kill or be killed mentality, but she’s gotta make sure the switch is on at the right moments.”
After the match, the switch shuts off.
Randle makes a point to console opponents after wins. “I know if I was in her shoes,” she explained Friday evening, “I would be upset if the other person was like, ‘Yeah!!!’ ”
The sportsmanship paid off Saturday.
“She ended up messaging me,” Randle said of the Ripon High wrestler she helped to her feet Friday evening. “She gave me some tips about a girl that I was going to wrestle today, and the tips actaully helped.”
After pinning Faust for seventh place, Randle hugged her coaches and retreated to the second deck of the arena to chat with some competitors-turned-friends.
“Give it your all,” Randle advises young wrestlers. “If you lose a match, don’t take it to heart. Losses are going to come, just as much as wins. Just go out there with a winning mindset. Wrestle to win and wrestle your match.”
No girl has done it quite like Shyra — not on Truxel Road, at least.