Olympic wrestler Haley Augello inducted into Lockport Athletic Hall of Fame

LOCKPORT – Although Haley Augello was just about the shortest athlete who stepped onto the field during Lockport’s homecoming games on Friday, it also was quite apparent to all in attendance that the former Porter wrestler stood taller than anyone else.

Augello was honored by her alma mater for becoming the first ex-athlete from Lockport High School to represent Team USA in an Olympics Games. The 2013 graduate returned to town to be inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame.

Although making her Olympics debut, Augello performed well but missed claiming a bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Games in August. She finished ninth at 48 kilograms in freestyle. After winning her opener against the Netherland’s Jessica Blaszka, she fell to the eventual gold medal winner, Japan’s Eri Tosaka, before losing a controversial 3-2 match to Kazakhstan’s Zhuidyz Eshimova.

“This is so awesome,” Augello said. “I had such a big response from the Lockport community with this journey that I started and I didn’t even realize the support that I had behind me. It’s such a great community and such a supportive family that we have here at Lockport.

“I wasn’t really paying attention because I was so focused on training, but once I looked at social media, I saw how many people were wishing me luck and all of these people who were reaching out to me and not only wanting to support me, but to be a part of the journey.

“That’s what I think really made the support from Lockport so special. Not only did they support my GoFundMe and buy my shirts and wear them when I wrestled, but they followed me on Snapchat and got to see part of the opening ceremony and the Olympic Village.”

Augello had nothing but praise for her former coaches and teammates at Lockport, who were always proud to have her on their squad and treated her like anyone else. Coaches Joe Williams and Josh Oster were both at the celebration and made comments congratulating the ex-Porter on her huge accomplishment.

“A lot of times when I get interviewed, people ask me about some of the sexist things that I encountered,” Augello said. “But my coaches and teammates at Lockport really shielded me from anything bad that was said, so I didn’t get that side of it and I know that a lot of girls did. I think that’s why I stand so strongly on getting women comfortable with being strong.

“Brian Rossi was my wrestling partner for two years and he’s at Stanford now, and he’s just one example and there’s many more. I always had tough competition in the room and they never took it easy on me and held me to the same standard as themselves and I think that really helped me as an athlete.

“They’re not only great coaches but also very great men. They play a really good mentor role in some of these young mens’ lives and they’re very strong men and they set a really good example for everyone else. It was easy to follow them and want to be coached by them.”

After making the Olympics team and performing well, Augello believes that she can become a good role model for other girls who aspire to do special things in the sport.

“In Illinois you don’t see a lot girls wrestling in the younger divisions,” Augello said. “So I think it’s really important, especially with women’s wrestling growing as rapidly as it is, to bring it to places like Lockport where it has so much support and positivity around it.

“Because of the things that the team and I have been able to accomplish by making the Olympics and showing that I had a nice, comfortable journey with Lockport, I think that can really open up a lot of doors at this school, around this area and eventually all of Illinois.”

Augello is proud of what she’s accomplished and hopes to get the opportunity to compete in Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics. But she also realizes that it might not happen, so she enjoyed the entire experience of something special that few athletes attain.

“I didn’t walk away with what I wanted, I didn’t bring home that medal, so I will keep competing and go for another cycle and as long as I stay healthy and love the sport, I’m going to keep doing it,” Augello said. “The experiences were so great that it’s just lit a fire into me for the next one. I’m more hungry than ever to get back on the mat.

“We got to meet a lot of people at the opening ceremony and I got to meet Simone (Biles) at the closing ceremony, so that was really cool. It was just crazy to see all of these different people coming together to represent the country, and that’s what the Olympics are about.

“It almost didn’t feel real and some times it feels like it hasn’t sunk in yet. But I know that I have a lot more room to improve so I don’t know if this was enough for me. I think that I still have more in me and that’s why I don’t feel fulfilled. Once you’re an Olympian, that can never be taken away, so I’ll be an Olympian forever. But I hope to go back and finish what I started.”