Junior Kristal Betanzo finished the season in fourth place in CCS
Co-captain of Aragon’s wrestling team, junior Kristal Betanzo dominated the Peninsula Athletic League this season, placing first in PAL and being voted most valuable lightweight in the PAL, while continuing on to place fourth in the Central Coast Section. Betanzo finished her junior year with a 34-5 record, with 33 wins by pin. Competing both for the Dons and as a Junior Olympian, Betanzo quickly rose to the top of the league with her takedowns and clever pins in the lower weight category.
Betanzo enjoys both high school wrestling and Junior Olympic wrestling, but finds Junior Olympic wrestling more challenging due to the difference of style.
“There are three different types of wrestling: folkstyle, freestyle and Greco,” she said. “The main difference between Junior Olympic and high school wrestling is that high school is folkstyle wrestling, while Junior Olympics focuses on freestyle and Greco.”
Betanzo appreciates the challenges brought by freestyle and Greco, a style that demands more upper body strength, as it gives her the opportunity to be more creative with her takedowns.
Betanzo is a third-generation female wrestler in her family. Her mom, who also wrestled at Aragon, coaches Betanzo outside of Aragon.
“My mom, Dianna Betanzo, was a national champion, as well as being the first female wrestler at Aragon, so wrestling is a big part of both our lives,” Betanzo said.
Wrestling requires as much mental strength as it does physical, and with her mom as her coach, Betanzo finds that she is able to calm down and prepare for matches better.
“Some days it’s difficult to not be intimidated by an opponent, and you can lose that hunger and readiness in your emotions,” she said. “Losing your focus is tough, but it’s great to have my mom as a coach because she knows how to get me back in it and get me ready for my matches.”
Along with the help from her mom, Betanzo has a small routine that allows her to perform at her best against the tough opponents in the Junior Olympics.
“I like to take a walk with my headphones on and just listen to music,” Betanzo said, “and forget about the match and opponent for a few minutes.”
While Betanzo appreciates her mom’s coaching, with such a deep family history in wrestling, she feels extra pressure to exceed expectations.
“Something I really struggled with was my lack of self-confidence,” Betanzo said. “Especially when I first started wrestling, I didn’t want to disappoint anyone.”
Her confidence has increased since the beginning of her career, and her national success certainly plays a role in her confidence as well.
“This season especially, my confidence has gotten a lot better,” she said. “I’m now able to have better confidence in myself, feel less pressure and enjoy my sport more.”
Although Junior Olympic wrestling allows more creativity and has a higher level of competition, she also enjoys competing for the Dons at the high school level.
“I enjoy the fun and excitement I get from high school wrestling,” Betanzo said. “It’s just a lot of fun to go out and compete against other schools, especially against other girls I know.”
She feels as though wrestling on the girls side of things, including at Aragon, can definitely expand and become more well-known.
“Our coach is great and enthusiastic about coaching and helping us, and I’d love to see more girls especially come out. It’s really a rewarding and great experience, and I want to see the sport expand more at Aragon as well.”
