Girls high school wrestling has made tiny splashes in Woodland for a few years as the sport grew. Now, thanks to some fantastic coaching paired up with great athletes, it looks to have fully arrived due in large part to the performances of Woodland High School wrestler Arleen Perez.

Thanks to a 3-2 record that earned her a fourth-placed finish this past weekend at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Masters wrestling tournament in Stockton, Perez became the first girl wrestler from a Woodland high school to make the CIF State tournament since the format and alignment for high school girls wrestling in southern and northern California changed in 2011.

“I’m a 12 on a scare of 10 in terms of happiness for her,” Woodland High School wrestling coach Michael Monk said. “It will last all week.”

After a first-place Golden Empire League finish for both Perez and the Woodland High School girls wrestling team, the CIF Regional qualifiers awaited them.

During those regionals earlier this month on Feb. 10 and 11 at Natomas High School, Perez grappled her way to a second-place finish in the 235-pound weight class amassing a 3-1 record. Monk credits Perez’s jujutsu background with helping ease her into a new sport.

That finish earned her a third seed at the CIF Sac Joaquin Masters tournament on one side of the 235-pound bracket.

This past Friday morning, Feb. 17, the first day of Masters, Perez went 2-0 to lock her into at least a top-six finish, qualifying her for the CIF State tournament.

“I couldn’t believe what I was watching,” Monk said. “She didn’t have a wrestling background, as I’ve said before, and she was tearing right through the competition. She beat some good wrestlers. She is still healthy and didn’t get injured, so she’s doing really well in that aspect.”

On Saturday, Feb. 18, having already qualified, she had a rougher go of things but managed to end up going 1-2.

In her first match, she lost in the championship semifinal bracket via a fall to Brianna Espinoza. That loss sent her to the consolation semifinals. There she defeated Talia Katzenberger from River City, qualifying her for the consolation finals. However, she ultimately lost via a fall to Jaime Shapton to finish in fourth place.

“Her advancing is history,” Monk said. “It really is history in the making. I’m living in it right this minute. Each match she advances to is uncharted waters. The joy and celebration for the families are great, and that will be eventually gone, but the history will remain.”

While this season is far from over, Monk is on cloud nine thinking about the immediate and distant future. While he contemplated retiring from coaching after this season, Perez, along with the performances of the rest of the Woodland girl wrestlers, is convincing him to come back for another year.

With Perez being only a junior, Monk believes she has put her name in the mix for a spot in the 2024 college recruiting class. He also hopes she’s inspired a new generation of girl wrestlers in Woodland.

“I’m hoping this inspires the girls in our community to know they can do anything a boy can,” Monk said. “I’m all about the legacy she is leaving here for other girls to reach for. Thats what it’s all about.”

After the season, Monk assures that Perez will add one more award to her list of achievements, the Captain’s Choice Woodland High School Wrestler of the Year, given to the most outstanding wrestler at the school.

“I’m hoping she wrestlers her absolute best at State,” Monk said. “She will be in the mix for a medal. With great wrestling, she can make the medal rounds. This is a season to be remembered.”