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The snickers stop once Dominique Molina steps onto the mat for the Leto High School boys wrestling team. She has a 12-10 record and dreams of state championships.
By TERRY JONES
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 15, 2002
LUTZ -- Technically, Dominique Molina has a 12-10 record. But according to her mother, no one -- at least no boy -- truly can triumph against her daughter.
"For the boys she wrestles, it is a no-win situation," Lynn Molina said. "If they beat her, their friends say (it is) no big deal to beat a girl. If they lose, they are embarrassed."
Mom was sitting in the bleachers the night her freshman daughter qualified for a regional berth. The 14-year-old Cheval resident qualified Feb. 7 by placing third in the district tournament, pinning her opponent -- yes, a boy -- in the first period.
Molina, who wrestles in the 103-pound weight class for Berkeley Prep, sees action again today in a Class A regional tournament in Sebring. Any opponents unfamiliar with Molina best be prepared: Seven of her 12 wins were by pin.
"Domi is a legitimate athlete and exceptionally strong for 14," said her coach, Russ Schenk. "Every wrestler has to earn a spot on the varsity in a "wrestle-off.' They have to be the toughest at the weight they want to wrestle.
"She started at 112, but dropped down to 103 and has beaten some pretty good wrestlers. She could qualify for state."
Molina has been an athlete for years. She played in the Buccaneers' highly competitive volleyball program and previously trained in gymnastics.
"I looked at wrestling as something different for me, not a boys sport I wanted to invade," she said.
"I watched my brother Brandon wrestle for years, and I just decided to give it a try. Some of the guys I wrestle have been rude, but most aren't. One slapped me, but his mom came down after the match and pulled him by the ear to my coach, making him apologize."
Her older brother, Brandon, wrestled for Berkeley Prep for years. He was a state placer in his junior and senior years as a heavyweight and recently started working out with the Harvard University wrestling team.
In his first year, Brandon lost all his matches.
"When I first told my brother I was going to wrestle, he said I was crazy," Molina said. "Now he is supportive, but worries about me getting hurt or beat up. My family is supportive, even Mom."
The 5-foot-2 Molina said she has seen just as much support from her otherwise all-male teammates, calling them "just awesome."
"It makes me want to work harder to earn their support and pushes me to help the team do better," she said. "Coach Schenk is the greatest. He makes me earn everything I get and never hesitates to show me what I have to do to improve."
Schenk readily sings her praises too.
"Domi is one of the hardest workers in the room," Schenk said. "She gets respect with her hard work, determination and improving skill level."
At the college level, women wrestle women, but that's not possible for high school athletes in Florida. But it doesn't bother Molina.
"Right now I want to wrestle boys, not girls, because they are more aggressive and I take this sport serious," she said. "I really plan to stay with wrestling through high school and maybe I can continue at the college level."
Aware of the need to do well academically, she makes A's and B's in college preparatory courses at Berkeley.
Molina's goal is to make it to the state tournament, a feat few freshmen wrestlers achieve. To get there, wrestlers must place in the top four in each weight at districts, then repeat the feat in much tougher competition at the regionals.
"I have gone over the list of all the 103-pound wrestlers qualified for our region and I really believe she has a legitimate shot at qualifying for the state tournament," Schenk said. "If she does, she will be the second girl that I am aware of who has made it to that level."
Says her proud mom: "That girl is something else!"