Girls wrestling: Joliet Township program thriving in early stages

JOLIET – When girls wrestling became an IHSA-sanctioned event in the 2021-22 season, Joliet West and Joliet Central were two separate programs, although neither had enough girls to field a full team. So, they decided to merge and compete as Joliet Township.

In the two years since the merger, coach Liz Short has seen the numbers explode. Last season, there were close to 60 girls that signed up, and more than 30 finished the season. This year, more than 80 signed up, and close to 60 remain.

Short, who teaches at Joliet Central, has been a big promoter for the program, trying to talk girls into giving wrestling a try.

“It’s all about selling the sport,” Short said after her team won the championship at the Southwest Prairie Conference Tournament last weekend. “We have a lot of girls at both schools that want to compete in something. A lot of them have become trailblazers, and we aren’t the only ones. The programs at schools like Minooka, Lockport and West Aurora have really seen their girls program grow quickly as well.

“There is a lot of talent, and these girls are excited to be out there competing. They kind of do the selling of the sport themselves by telling their friends. The first year, we had six girls when we started the season. This year, we had more than 80 girls at tryouts.”

“There is a lot of talent, and these girls are excited to be out there competing. They kind of do the selling of the sport themselves by telling their friends. The first year, we had six girls when we started the season. This year, we had more than 80 girls at tryouts.”

—  Liz Short, Joliet Township girls wrestling coach

JT senior Eliana Paramo, who finished second in the state at 115 pounds last season and won the SPC title this year at 110, has been with the program from the start.

“It has been really fun to see the program grow,” Paramo said. “I was part of the team the first year, and then to see it grow the way it has is great. This year, we had so many girls sign up that when we got all of us into the wrestling room, there almost wasn’t enough space for everyone.

“It’s a tough sport, and you have to be committed to it. It’s not for some people, and they figure that out, but we still have a good amount of girls out.”

Being part of a program that involves two schools can be a challenge as well.

“Coach Short teaches at Central, and she does a good job of recruiting girls from that school while she’s teaching there,” Paramo said. “I go to West, and it’s harder to recruit there because the coach isn’t there, but me and some other girls keep trying to promote the program, and we have pretty good numbers from both schools.

“Coach Short is all for the growth of the sport, and I think it’s been great.”

Not only has Short’s team grown in numbers, but the results have also followed.

“First you grow the program, which we’ve done,” Short said. “Now you are seeing the quality of athletes we have. The quality is there. The girls want to be here and do this. We make sure we wrestle a tough schedule so the kids aren’t as nervous when a big tournament comes up. This is not the whole book, this is just a chapter.

“A lot of our girls have competed in spring and summer wrestling, and the results from that have really shown themselves this year. Girls like Eliana Paramo and Isabel Berrera have been rocks for us since we started this. They have seen everything, and they have bought in.”

Paramo had quite a busy offseason. She wrestled freestyle with Team Illinois during the summer and went to the National Team Duals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as the U.S. Nationals in Fargo, South Dakota.

“I wrestle with SPAR in Aurora in the offseason,” she said. “The coaches there are amazing, and there is so much talent in the room that you really develop as a wrestler. The high school season isn’t freestyle, but there is a lot that translates over. The national tournaments were just an amazing experience.

“You get to wrestle against wrestlers from other states and see different styles of wrestling that you might not get to see here. It all helps you gain experience and make you better.”