MONTEREY >> Growing up participating in rugby and gymnastics, Ella Myers was anything but a perfect fit in either sport.
The flexibility of gymnastics was challenging. Doing the splits wasn’t going to happen. While the physicality of rugby had an appeal, Myers only played on teams with boys.
What the two sports did have a blend of was wrestling — where finesse and the physical aspect come together.
“There was a lot of failure in gymnastics,” said Myers, a Monterey High multi-sport standout. “I was good at rope climbing. Learning how to deal with that mentality of failure taught me to keep working.”
While softball is taking Myers to UC Santa Barbara next spring on an athletic scholarship, wrestling has become a passion for the 18-year-old, who is chasing a third straight state meet appearance.
Myers, who broke the Monterey school record last year with 45 wins, is attempting to become the first girl on campus to win four straight Pacific Coast Athletic League wrestling titles.
“I remember thinking after my first practice ‘this is so hard,’” Myers said. “Even after drowning (in a figure of speech) in water polo my freshman year, wrestling was kind of a shock.”
Stabilizing Myers’ mental state was the fact that her older brother Ethan was wrestling and her dad was a former state wrestler while growing up in Iowa.
“Having my older brother there was big,” said Myers, the Herald’s 2024 Female Athlete of the Year. “I remember telling myself if he can do it, I can do it. Now my younger brother is wrestling.”
The fire that Myers breathes when in the softball circle, evolved in wrestling as she has never lost a league match.
Currently undefeated this year, the reigning Central Coast Section champion rewrote the single-season school record for wins (45) and has the career record for wins at Monterey with 130 and counting — with four of her 10 losses coming at state.
“There are some similarities in gymnastics to the body movements in wrestling,” Myers said. “I always loved the physicality of rugby. It’s translated well to wrestling.”
While Myers is fully dedicated to the sport during the season, she was excused to miss one week after being invited to try out for the USA 18-under softball team in Florida.
Upon returning, she won her first tournament title and has pinned all but one opponent this year — this after pinning 28 opponents last year.
“I should be better this year, I expect to be better,” Myers said. “I’ve improved my moves, my technique. I know what my pinning combinations are. I’m stronger and smarter on the mats.”
What has helped Myers this year is she’s in the same weight class as last year, when she chose to jump from 131 as a sophomore to the 140-pound class.
“My performance has improved significantly since I’m able to eat and fuel my body better,” the 5-foot-5 Myers said. “I have gained more muscle. The downside is the girls I’m wrestling are strong, too.”
While she’s often under the weight, Myers isn’t cutting weight. Training with the boys has improved her strength and opened her eyes to a different style.
“Guys wrestling is more violent,” Myers said. “They attack. I am getting my butt whipped in practice. But it’s been helpful. I know the girls I wrestle don’t get to see that.”
Myers believes it has given her an advantage when she competes and has made her more aggressive, as evident in the amount of pins she’s piled up over the last two years.
“It’s given me a different mindset in going after opponents,” Myers said. “I’m more prepared for the violence. In practice, I have to take advantage of their weaknesses just to compete.”
Because Myers has a training program twice a week for softball, the biggest challenge might be keeping her full attention on wrestling.
“What I need to focus on for softball takes a little of my attention from wrestling,” Myers said. “Flipping the switch isn’t easy. A week in Florida eating well doesn’t help.”
Yet, her conditioning is something that Myers never leaves behind. Self motivated, no one will ever question her dedication and inner drive — no matter what sport or season she’s in.
“I had a winter softball tournament,” Myers said. “We were running pole-to-pole for warmups. Girls are gassed. I’m thinking this is an eighth of our warmups in wrestling. I feel great.”
Having chosen wrestling and water polo as high school sports to keep her busy before softball season, Myers, who has pitched and hit the Toreadores to two CCS titles and a NorCal championship, believes it’s helped her become a better softball player.
“Doing other sports helps a ton,” said Myers, who has played softball for more than a decade. “In softball, you have to be aware of your body because of its mechanics. I’m working different muscles in water polo and wrestling.”
With two state meet appearances under her belt, Myers was overwhelmed her first year and sick last season, dropping two of three matches.
“The first year was a complete shock,” Myers said. “Last year my goal was to podium. Obviously, it didn’t happen. It sucks to wrestle when you can’t breathe. But I felt I did better.”
What’s different for Myers is confidence. The shock of facing nationally-ranked wrestlers is gone. While there is respect, there is no fear in facing competitors who have wrestled their entire lives.
“I’ve had the mentality that I can beat anyone,” Myers said. “But this year I believe it. This is my last year. I have nothing to lose. I have to give everything, knowing I won’t have a chance to do this again.”
Fittingly, her rise in the sport in capturing a CCS title last year and competing in the state championships two straight years has created some interest from colleges.
But that’s as far as it’s gone. While there will be a gap in her life when wrestling comes to an end, softball is taking her on her next journey.
“There was a slight thought of wrestling in college,” Myers said. “There was some interest. But I said it can’t happen. Softball has been my focus since Day 1.”
Yet, wrestling has grabbed a portion of her heart as well. While softball becomes a full-time gig next year, Myers would love to be involved in wrestling in other avenues in the future.
“I’m dreading knowing this is my last year as a wrestler,” Myers said. “I hope to come back some day and help coach. I want to stay connected to it. I don’t want to let go of wrestling forever.”