Samo girls wrestler Riha Prasad ('19) wins first place

Girls wrestling at Samo is an underrepresented sport but hopefully captain Riha Prasad’s (’19) victory in the Southern California region on Feb. 10 more girls will be encouraged to join.  Prasad felt a mixture of emotions as she was standing on the first place podium holding her medal, but she knew that she would have to work even harder.  “I felt very accomplished that the majority of my hard work had paid off at that point, but I knew that wasn’t the end and that I would have to keep doing more. But I felt like I had finally paid off all those hours, sleepless nights and cutting weight,” Prasad said.  This has been the first time Prasad has won first place in a regional level. Last year, as a sophomore, Prasad won third place, motivating her to practice even harder.  She started wrestling her freshman year after being introduced to the sport by a family friend and soon after, it took off. She even convinced her sister, rising girls wrestling athlete Rayna Prasad (’21) to join the team as well. Prasad prepared for the winter season by changing her diet and her practice.  “I eat more fruits and vegetables just to keep [myself] energized. Practice-wise, I start to work mostly on technique and stamina because I know when it comes down to it technique and stamina will both come in handy because I want to end the matches fast,” Prasad said. Despite this, Prasad sticks to the same breakfast on the days of her matches, both away and at home. Although it may seem like a superstition, Prasad claims it is only because it’s her favorite food.  “Every morning of a tournament, we go to whatever local restaurant there is and I always order waffles, a scrambled egg and turkey bacon,” Prasad said. Prasad hopes to one day wrestle in college and has been keeping in touch with many recruitment officers from the UCs.  “I see myself wrestling in college because I know that women’s college wrestling is coming up and I know that with what I’ve accomplished so far I can get a scholarship,” Prasad explained.  Although Prasad had the chance to compete in state on Feb. 23, she had to pull out due to a ankle injury that occurred during a match. She looks forward to next year though and is already planning her practice and conditioning with Samo coach Mark Black.