All-Area Wrestling: Nikki Velazquez leads Othello girls to new heights

Othello’s Nikki Velazquez is standout soccer player, but in the winter she turns her focus to wrestling, where her game is just as good.

Velazquez, who finished her senior season with a 44-3 record and a second-place finish at 130 pounds at the state tournament last month, is the Herald’s All-Area Wrestler of the Year.

“I was there to do business,” Velazquez said. “There was nothing that was going to stop me from getting to the finals. In my bracket, there were girls I had lost to. I had had to get over my fear, not lose focus and be prepared.”

JJ Martinez of Othello was named Coach of the Year. The Huskies, who have five wrestlers in the first team, finished third in the team race at state, bringing home a trophy for the first time in the program’s history.

“I knew we had the team,” Martinez said. “We are so proud to bring back the first trophy for girls wrestling. What I like about the girls tournament, is it’s a true state championship. All levels together.”

The Othello girls program started in the 2009-10 season with just two wrestlers, but the expectations have always been high.

“With the tradition of the boys program, the girls are expected to do the same,” Martinez said. “We knew we could be in the title hunt. That third-place trophy means so much to our school and our program. After state, I got texts and messages from people wondering how to get their girls involved in the sport.”

Velazquez, who has been wrestling since the seventh grade, qualified for state all four years of high school, and placed sixth last year at 130 pounds.

“At the time, it was either wrestling or basketball, and I couldn’t shoot the ball to save my life,” Velazquez said of middle school. “I’d always played soccer. It took me a while to get good at (wrestling). My very first match, I wrestled a boy. I was so nervous. They had to ask my dad if it was OK that I wrestled a boy.

“I beat him.”

Velazquez entered state with previous tournament losses to Joessie Gonzales of Snohomish, and another to Erin Redford of White River.

Velazquez opened state with a first-round pin of Sydney Cone of Sehome, then followed with an 11-1 major decision over Annabelle Helm of Union to earn a rematch with Gonzales.

Velazquez beat Gonzales 10-5 to set up another match with Redford. That match did not goes as well, with Redford beating Velazquez 13-6.

“Nikki wrestled a great match,” Martinez said of the title bout. “I couldn’t be happier for her. I’m very proud of her. She’s a class act, a great captain and good leader. It’s remarkable what Nikki has done for this program.”

Though college wrestling programs have contacted her about continuing her career on the mat, Velazquez is headed to Walla Walla Community College to play soccer.

“It was fun making history and being the first team to bring home a trophy,” she said. “Hopefully it will inspire other girls to join the sport. I’m honored that programs want me to come wrestle, but I’m going to play soccer.”

Velazquez, a forward, plays for Yakima United of the Northwest Premier League, and is in the process of working out the logistics to go to Mexico to try out for a professional soccer league.

“We will see how that works out,” she said. “I’m excited for college soccer. Walla Walla is close to home, but far enough that I can have have the college experience.”

This story was originally published March 15, 2017 at 3:02 PM with the headline "All-Area Wrestling: Nikki Velazquez leads Othello girls to new heights."