When sophomore Tenzin Dechen signed up for the Edina Wrestling program at the Activities Fair during her freshman year, she had no prior experience in the sport. 

“I’ve never seen anybody do wrestling, and I was so new to the sport—I didn’t even know we had a wrestling room,” Dechen said. 

Several months later, Dechen qualified for state after placing top two in the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Girls Section Six & Seven tournament, beating her second opponent in 26 seconds. 

Established in 2014, the Edina Wrestling program had a small number of female wrestlers enroll over the years without ever implementing an official wrestling program for girls. But when the MSHSL sanctioned a new girls-only division in 2023, Wrestling Head Coach Josh Burhans spread the information schoolwide, catching Dechen’s interest. 

As the sole female wrestler on the team, Dechen was initially nervous about her acclimation to the team environment. “It did scare me a little bit, being the only girl, but when I first stepped in the guys were super inclusive, and it just felt like I was a part of the team right away,” Dechen said. “I think it really gave me that clarity that I wasn’t going to be treated differently in that sport.” 

Dechen was included in all practice drills, running in line drills and wrestling other members for practice matches. The team’s sense of camaraderie further supported her adaptation to the sport. “What makes Tenzin unique is how she’s very honest with people on the team and keeps them accountable,” junior teammate Gage Holmberg said. “I wouldn’t say we did anything different to help her adjust to the team but just treated her like any other wrestler.”

During her initial practices, Burhans noted Dechen’s affinity for learning allowed her to quickly grasp foundational wrestling techniques. “I could tell right away that she had a kind of natural ability of wrestling, just the way she was kind of able to pick up the moves pretty quickly,” Burhans said. 

Dechen’s receptiveness and adaptability towards the sport propelled her towards her success at state qualifiers in the winter of 2023. She cites the wrestling community as a prominent contributor to her accomplishments. “The community is just so rich and full of encouragement; it gives you confidence,” Dechen said. “It’s fun to see [people] coming together, even if you’re new to wrestling or have been doing it for years.” 

Since Dechen joined the team, additional female members have enrolled, prompting Burhans to focus on solidifying the Girls’ Wrestling program. The program has recently recruited Luis Nebel as the girl’s head coach, who plans to spread awareness of the team by hosting clinics.  

Dechen herself intends to wrestle throughout high school with the hope of spotlighting the sport. “I feel like [wrestling] is never talked about [at our school], and I think it just deserves that acknowledgment because it’s such a tough sport, but in the end what you put in is what you get out,” Dechen said.

This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on February 21, 2024.