Thursday, March 27, 2025
Uniondale High School’s new girls’ wrestling team took first place at the state qualifying meet last Sunday. Ten of the school’s top-ranking athletes will compete for state championships on Feb. 27 in Albany.
This school year, Long Island’s Section VIII created a new girls’ wrestling league, with its own championship, for the right to go to the state competition. It opens up new opportunities for female athletes in Uniondale to pursue college scholarships.
The season started in November and will end this month, paralleling other winter sports such as fencing and basketball.
“We have two number one seeds in the county, a third seed and a couple of second seeds,” Coach Tim Godoy said.
Uniondale has 10 all-county wrestlers who are among the top three seeds in their weight classes. Four UHS juniors — Giselle Espinoza, Brianna Marquez, Hayley West and Keishara Tulloch — are among them.
Espinoza, who will serve as an alternate in the state competition, said she enjoys competing in a one-on-one sport. “I like the competitiveness,” she said. “If you want to be the best, you don’t have to rely on others, you just have to work hard yourself. You need to put in the work, time and effort for it.”
Marquez has qualified for the state competition.
“One of my favorite things about girls’ wrestling is how good the environment is, and how every success you get is what you work for,” she said. “By having the support of my coach, I become a better wrestler every time we’re practicing.”
“She had a couple hard fought wins last week, and she took out a third in Suffolk, which is tremendous,” Godoy said of Marquez.
West sees every match as an opportunity to grow.
“For me, it’s really fun,” she said. “I like going against people, I like winning, and I like learning from my experiences and my mistakes.”
Tulloch, who won a county title, is seeded fourth in the state. “I’ve been working hard this past week, working on certain techniques that I need to help me win counties and to make it to states and potentially even win states,” she said. “If you put in enough work, if you want it hard enough, you can be first and you can win, too.”
“She’s gotten better each and every week,” Godoy said of Tulloch.
In the half-season that the team has been together, Godoy has seen an extraordinary amount of development in his young athletes. “To say that they’ve accomplished a lot in a short period of time is an understatement,” he said. “Their potential is unmatched, and they’re capable of catching anybody.”
Many of the wrestlers were originally members of the girls’ soccer team, also coached by Godoy. They brought with them good sportsmanship and a desire to succeed.
“Everything they’ve done is super high level,” he said.
“The commitment level has been great, attendance to practice, and they’re all very interested in doing off-season to get better for next year.”
A total of 28 girls joined the team, making it the largest one in Nassau County.
“They’re all just really good people.” Godoy said.
“They look out for each other, they cheer for each other. It’s not just the wins and losses, but the camaraderie.”
“They’re the best,” Peter Cardone, Uniondale High’s athletic director, said. “They learn so quickly. They have great attitudes, great grades, and on top of that, they’re extremely successful.”
The success of the new team is one of many signs of the post-Covid bounce-back for extracurricular programs in Nassau County.
“It’s done wonders for our girls,” Cardone said, “everything from getting them in the best shape of their life, and also having that team camaraderie amongst each other.
“It’s all about creating the best of life for the kids,” he added. “We want to create another outlet for them to be successful on and off the mat.”
When the team was founded, the district gave them new uniforms and equipment. “Seeing them go from where they were in November to now, it’s like a totally different vibe in the building with them,” Cardone said. “They’re smiling — they’re proud to wear their gear.”
