Oswego’s Kiyah Chavez, an Iowa softball commit, takes home second at state ‘I never would have guessed this’

BLOOMINGTON — Oswego senior Kiyah Chavez was playing basketball last year to stay in shape for softball, except it wasn’t giving her the workout she wanted.

“Basketball wasn’t my strong suit and the starters ended up getting most of the playing time (and) 100% rightfully so,” Chavez said. “I wasn’t mad about that, but I wasn’t getting the cardio endurance (work) I needed.”

Enter Panthers girls wrestling coach Greg Scott, who kept inviting Chavez to join his team.

“Finally, I was like, let’s give this thing a try,” Chavez said.

She’s glad she did.

On Saturday afternoon at Grossinger Motors Arena, Chavez became the first state medalist in program history when she took second at 155 pounds. Chavez finished 41-10 this season after falling 6-0 in the final to Hinsdale South junior Callie Carr (39-0).

The Iowa softball recruit and 2024 Record Newspapers softball Player of the Year did not expect, when Chavez joined the wrestling team last winter, to wind up on the awards stand barely a year later.

“I thought I’d have fun, I’d compete, maybe almost make state,” Chavez said. “But I never would have honestly guessed this.”

Wrestling and softball might not seem to be complementary sports, but Chavez believes they can be — at least for her.

“Being a catcher, I would say I have good hip strength, which is obviously incredibly important in this sport,” Chavez said. “That’s definitely helped. But honestly I think wrestling has helped me develop more as a person than softball has. The resilience you learn and the humility of it all — it’s been a lot of great learning for me.”

There were also other things she needed to learn coming to wrestling so late.

“I went in my first day of practice, I didn’t even know the rules,” Chavez said. “I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.”

But Scott and her teammates helped Chavez get up to speed.

“It was definitely a journey learning all the moves and stuff,” she said. “But I got there eventually.”

Chavez marvels at the growth of girls wrestling, and the skills on display this weekend.

“I tip my cap to Callie,” she said. “She’s a phenomenal wrestler and she’s incredibly talented. ... She’s single-handedly helping grow women’s wrestling and women’s sports in general.”

So what’s next for Chavez? One day off, before softball practice starts on Monday. Chavez and the Oswego softball team hope to build off last year’s third-place finish in Class 4A, the softball program’s first state appearance.

“Funnily enough, I was actually supposed to have travel ball practice (Sunday), our last one of the season,” Chavez said. “But my coach came down (Saturday) and she said if I won my semifinal match, she would cancel our practice (Sunday).”

Mission accomplished.