The Normandy Girls Wrestling Team enters their second season with great promise and expectations. Under the new leadership of Coach Justin Halaska and with the closing of Parma Senior High, the girls team has grown from three girls to nineteen.

Halaska, a proud Parma Senior High graduate coached the last six years at his alma mater under Head Coach Chris Finowski and Assistant Coach Terry “Stand-Ups” Juhn. Three years ago, Halaska flagshipped a girls wrestling team at PSH. Now that the State of Ohio has sanctioned the sport, the PCSD has teams at both Valley Forge and Normandy. He is entering his seventh year coaching, with this year being his first at Normandy. Halaska says that he is “extremely pumped” that to get this new season underway. His goal is to continue to grow the sport and build on the positive culture and communication within his program. Halaska whole heartedly backs the mission statement of Normandy High School when it comes to building his student athletes.

The girls team is compromised of both seasoned veterans and new faces. Among these veterans you have Caddyson Edwards, Tamrah Szucs, Brooke Yontosh, and Brooklyn Madal.

Caddyson Edwards has wrestled two years at Parma High and enters her third year with goals to make the prestigious OHSAA State Tournament. Last year she fell short by one match while battling through injury. She has put in the work over the summer and looks to write her name into the history books as Normandy’s first girls state qualifier.

Tamrah Szucs, a second year wrestler for the Invaders, enters this season with expectations to build upon her first year in the sport. Szucs, a three sport athlete has found a passion for wrestling and strives to be a leader on the mat. She pushes herself both mentally and physically striving to achieve her goals.

Another former Redmen grappler, Brooke Yontosh strives to make leaps in the sport. She is one of the most physical wrestlers on the team and consistently tries to inflict her will upon her opponents. Yontosh looks to build on her first year of wrestling moving into her second season.

Lastly, another veteran Invader looking to write her name into the history books of Normandy is Brooklyn Madal. Brooklyn has wrestled since she was a little kid and was a captain last season. She has had a good off season of work both on and off of the mat. Her dreams as a child of making it to the state tournament could soon become reality as she enters this junior season.

“Scrapping” alongside these savy veterans are fifteen other eager girls that look to make a name for themselves.

The girls wrestling season opens up on December 10th at the Brush Lady Arcs Tournament.