Laila Mirza

Charles Page High School

When girls wrestling coach Trent Cleveland knew he had a senior that could make history for the Sandite wrestling team. That senior is Laila Mirza.

In her second year of wrestling, Mirza became the first girl in the history of the Charles Page High School program to place at the state wrestling tournament.

“Being a state placer to me means that my hard work paid off. I was afraid that I hadn’t dedicated enough time to wrestling due to tending to other responsibilities such as homework and my job. The only thing I could do was utilize the time I was given to my utmost ability,” said Mirza.

The support of the coaching staff, her teammates, and the wrestling community in Sand Springs meant a lot to Mirza.

“My coaches are the ones who showed me considerate guidance resulting in me wanting to see what hard work can accomplish. The unified community of Sandite wrestling is unmatched,” said Mirza.

The four-sport athlete (cross country, track, powerlifting, wrestling) said she loves the sport and is excited to see what the team can do next year.

“My newfound love for wrestling has resulted in me wanting to further continue my wrestling career while in college,” said Mirza. “For my team next season, I would love for them to advance even further in their skills, to always respect and encourage one another, and for girls team to continue to grow.”

Mirza said the girls in the wrestling room are tough, but we wanted to know who was the toughest, funniest, and most serious in the room. “It’s hard to say who is the toughest since girls wrestling alone does take quite a bit of perseverance. Amberiel Chambers, Bailey Copeland, Kelsi Hilton, Gracie Gifford, and Trinity Owens are all tough girls. I would say Tessa Urrey is always laughing and brightening up someone’s day. Kelsi Hilton is the most serious when it comes to getting the appropriate mindset before a match,” said Mirza.