Jariah - Huge Strides to Win a WOTY Award!

Henry E. Lackey’s junior Jariah Washington made big strides from one year to the next as she was fifth in the state as a sophomore and now stands atop the state podium as the No. 1 170-pounder in Maryland. That turnaround plus her multiple wins over state ranked girls led to Washington being named one of Legacy Wrestling’s Female Wrestlers of the Year.

“Being named Wrestler of the Year is truly a blessing,” offered Washington. “First, I have to give all glory to God because none of this would be possible without him. I’m really grateful for the opportunity and for everyone who’s supported me along the way.”

Lackey head coach Brandon Paulin has been a witness to Washington’s quick improvement and rapid ascension.

“Jariah has always been a phenomenal athlete,” said Paulin. “As her wrestling has improved you could really see that her ceiling in the sport is limitless. To get to where she is as a junior and not having wrestled her freshman year is a testament to her ability to learn quickly and work hard.”

Washington only had 16 matches this season against zero losses. She was entered in the War of the Shore and appeared in the brackets but did not wrestle.

This left Washington’s biggest regular season endeavor being Who’s #1?. Washington turned heads here when she decked Quince Orchard’s No. 3 Aubry Spadoni in 2:50 and handed a 6-3 loss to No. 8 Amirrah Butler (Frederick Douglass – PG). Spadoni, also a junior, was a state champion as a freshman and second last year.

“Who’s #1 was a big moment for me,” Washington added. “I had heard a lot about how good Spadoni was, so I was a little nervous before the match. But I reminded myself that no matter what happens, it’s all in God’s plan. That helped me stay calm, go out there, and wrestle my match.”

The postseason was where Washington wrestled most of her bouts this season and she made it noteworthy as second titles were gained in the SMAC and 2A/1A South Regions.

The SMAC Brackets only presented Washington with two matches and she used a 2:54 pin to gain access to the finals and Great Mills’ Ariana Beninato, who she stuck in the first period, 1:21.

The region final lined up a rematch with Butler and this time there would be an early ending as Washington planted her with three seconds remaining in the middle frame, 3:57. Washington also pinned La Plata’s Kenadi Reeder in 49 seconds and added another 23 second fall to her chart.

“At SMACs and Regionals, getting all pins was something I worked toward, but again, I just give credit to God and my preparation,” Washington said. “I went out there trying to wrestle hard and do what I’ve been trained to do. Being able to repeat as a champion at those tournaments is something I’m very thankful for.”

All four of the girls Washington threw down with at states are in the Maryland rankings with the lowest of them being No. 11 Samantha Nieman (Smithsburg), who she dispersed with a 3:14 fall. Spadoni got another crack at Washington in the quarterfinals but could not capitalize and met the same fate as her previous encounter, and almost in the same timeframe at 2:55.

Crofton’s No. 2 Lilah Pabon came out to challenge Washington in the semis and was sent back into the stands after being the recipient of a 15-0 technical fall. Pabon beat Spadoni in the consolation finals. Washington worked into the third period with No. 4 Mabel Alafiatayo (Charles H. Fowers) before putting her away at the 5:21 mark of the finals.

“Looking back at the state tournament, I’m just thankful for how everything played out,” reflected Washington. “I felt more calm and trusting, not just in my training, but in God’s plan. I tried to take it one match at a time and stay focused on doing my best. Winning a state title after getting fifth last year means a lot to me. Those losses stuck with me a long time and motivated me to work harder. I just stayed patient, trusted the process, and kept my faith in the lord.”

Washington, buoyed by the dominating run at states, headed to the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach and showed up big on the national stage by placing sixth at 165 pounds.

Washington had an interesting tournament as she moved through the bracket unscathed to reach the semis and then would not win another bout. There were two pins, a 7-0 win over Paige McKendry (PA), and a quarterfinal pin of Texas’ Isabella Cordero, 3:31, before things turned sideways.

The losses were nothing to be ashamed of as they came to two-time Kentucky State Champ, Sianna Appolon, in the placement match, California’s Areli Rodriguez, who was 6th at states, and another sixth-place state finisher, Kate Prior (PA). Prior defeated Washington in the semis and placed second to Virginia’s Chloe Williams.

“At NHSCA, I ended up placing sixth,” Washington elaborated. “During one of my matches, I injured my ankle, but I pushed through and kept wrestling on it. I ended up losing that match, but I trusted in God because I know everything is in his hands. I’m grateful for the experience and everything I learned from it. I know I could’ve done better, but I’m going to continue to put in the work and improve every day while trusting God in the process.”

As Washington started stacking big wins, it wasn’t just her public performances that impressed Paulin, but her work in the room, which led to her perfect year.

“This season was Jariah's breakout season in my opinion,” Paulin continued. “In the room we saw just how strong she was and how she has developed into a great wrestler. It's awesome to see her get the recognition she deserves. The whole year she was dominant, never put herself into bad positions and was always improving to score. I'm so proud of her accomplishments this year and I know that she will build on that success for next year!”