Wrestling wasn’t on Amelia Mitchell’s radar when she got involved in kickboxing and Brazilian jujitsu in the past few years.
But the Munster freshman can’t get enough of that sport these days.
“Wrestling is becoming my primary sport,” Mitchell said. “I feel like I’m super aggressive with it, and I like all of the different moves.”
It turns out the other sports have become the foundation for a blossoming wrestling career for Mitchell (25-1), who is ranked No. 6 at 120 pounds by IndianaMat heading into regionals on Friday. She kicked off the postseason with three pins in a first-place finish at the Illiana Christian Sectional last week.
Her success in the sectional gave her more confidence.
“That’s made me feel a little more comfortable, that I can go farther,” she said. “I know what I need to do now to place at regionals and at state too.”
Munster coach Zach Slosser said Mitchell hesitated at times during matches earlier in the season. But that changed as the victories piled up.
“It’s hard coming in as a freshman,” Slosser said. “She was always negative about herself. But she’s more confident in herself, and she trusts a lot more people with her wrestling now. She knows the techniques, so let’s perfect those now, and we’ll make sure she doesn’t stop until she reaches her goal.”
Mitchell started kickboxing five years ago at the encouragement of her parents, who wanted her to learn some self-defense tactics.
One year later, Mitchell started practicing Brazilian jujitsu and learned about Tap Cancer Out, a nonprofit that hosts events across the country to raise money for cancer research and support. Mitchell jumped at the opportunity to participate as a tribute to her late uncle William Nunamaker, who died from brain cancer at 43 in January 2020.
“It was raising money for a good cause,” she said. “I wanted to give back and help the people who need it.”
Mitchell added wrestling during middle school, and her high school debut happened to coincide with girls wrestling’s first season as a sport sanctioned by the Indiana High School Athletic Association.
“It makes me feel like I can represent this team now,” she said.
Mitchell has been having plenty of fun along the way, particularly at practices.
“She can be serious, but she also makes us laugh,” Munster sophomore Sophia Jorge said. “She sings to us.”
Jorge said Mitchell’s song of choice on Monday was “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira, and Mitchell started singing the chorus and dancing in the background as sophomore Bobbie Uidl continued talking.
“We’ll laugh with her, but she keeps us all going,” Uidl said of Mitchell. “She’s very motivated, and when you want something like she does, it just makes you happy when it comes to you.”
More matches are coming Mitchell’s way this week, when she could qualify for the first IHSAA state meet to be held at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis on Jan. 17. She said she’s fine-tuning the skills that have carried her to this point.
“I mostly need to work on my technique and making things cleaner,” Mitchell said. “Then it’s being able to execute and going off from there.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter.
