On Jan. 27, Yenyia Terry struck gold in an exciting match against Hempfield’s Clementine O’Brien, becoming the first girl wrestler in MT history to win gold in an official Lancaster-Lebanon (LL) League Tournament and securing the LL League title. Going into the tournament, Terry was anxious for a win after her loss on senior night to O’Brien. 

“Yenyia had already suffered a loss to this girl just two days prior, so it goes without saying for those who don’t know Yenyia’s true talent that the odds were stacked against her,” said MT head wrestling coach Gabriel Bogutskie. 

Terry made a big transition from cheerleading to wrestling in her freshman year of high school in 2020. Terry said she found that the environment of wrestling made her feel welcome, and she felt like she could do anything even if the boys that were twice her size told her otherwise. 

Coming into her senior year of high school, Terry had two goals in mind that were pushing her to be her best: winning the LL League tournament and being the overall winner by getting gold in States. After accomplishing her goal of winning the LL League title, Terry is still looking to the future and training harder than ever so she can get the state title not just for herself but for her team, her school, and all the future girls that wrestle on the team. 

However, grabbing the LL League title did not come easy. For Terry it took hours of watching film, changing her techniques, working on improving moves, adding new moves and overcoming all the challenges that were thrown her way. In her sophomore year, Terry suffered weakening injuries to her wrists consisting of cartilage tears and excess fluid. Not only did injury strike her, but Terry struggled through losses, changes in brackets, and the mental hardships that a wrestler has to face while training and even just waiting for their time to wrestle. 

“I like to say that wrestling is 10% physical and 90% mental, because you push your mind and body past their limits, so you have to be comfortable with doing the uncomfortable sometimes,” said Terry.

Throughout the two-day tournament, Terry found that all the pressure was getting to her head like it never had before. Her teammates were quick to step in and encourage her, letting her know that she was ready for anything. Though she was nervous, Terry showed everyone that no matter the challenges they are facing, they have to push them aside and focus on the present, and for her that was claiming the LL League win. 

One of Terry’s favorite quotes that she uses often is one that her former coach Aaron Moldoff used in a previous season: 

“If you can’t win, fight,” he said. 

This quote stuck with Terry through the following season and through the preparation that she went through in the days and minutes leading up to her match against O’Brien. 

After a hard fought battle against O’Brien, Terry was able to secure a final pin which bought her the LL League Title. 

“I was excited because not only did I beat a girl that was ranked first, but I beat her after she just beat me,” said Terry. 

Terry, still trying to process the win even days after the match, is just happy that she was able to grasp the win and put her team on the map. She is also happy to be going down in history for being the first ever girl in MT history to win the tournament. 

“I never thought that I would be the first girl and I never thought that I would long for the success but it feels nice, it really does, to have all my hard work pay off and to show everyone that I may be an underdog but I am that top dog,” said Terry. 

Terry was overcome with emotion after the match, but she feels relief now that she has completed one of her goals for the season. Her team and her coach were just as happy for her. Terry said that when she stepped off the mat her coach lifted her up in the air for the first time ever, and her teammates then bombarded her with hugs and congratulations. 

“She was able to overcome all odds and pin the first seed in under a minute and a half, absolutely blowing the roof off the place. In my opinion, she truly embellished a warrior’s spirit and showed why she is a leader and captain of this team,” said Bogutskie. 

As the season is coming to an end, Terry is still looking to fulfill her final goal of winning gold in states. 

 “It’s a long road, but soon it’s coming to an end, and I feel like getting gold is definitely comfortable. I qualified the past two years, so I feel like it’s definitely something I could achieve again this year,” she said. 

Terry has future plans to go to a four year college to pursue her love for accounting. She has yet to decide on where she wants to take her wrestling career but she said that if the opportunity presents itself during her time in college she would love to continue wrestling.