Girls Wrestler of the Year: Enochs’ Coscia celebrates perfection

Rory Coscia doesn’t wear her confidence on her sleeve. It simmers just below the surface.

The Enochs High junior’s 5-0 campaign toward the 116-pound state wrestling title earlier this month in Visalia was interrupted by, of all things, a playful bet. A CIF official wore a cowboy hat during the two-day meet, and it caught Coscia’s eye.

“The man would show the girls what mats to go to. I was wearing my own hat and I said, ‘I like your hat. Would you like to trade?’” she said. “He told me, ‘You can have it if you win state.’”

Sure enough, Coscia got her cowboy hat moments after her dramatic 6-4 win in overtime over James Logan senior Nguyet Tran. The story says something about her outgoing nature and unshakable belief in herself. Simply, Coscia sets goals and accomplishes them.

“I always knew I could do it. It wasn’t surprising that I was undefeated,” she said. “It was just a good feeling. I felt like I was a good wrestler. I knew I could win.”

Coscia didn’t merely win. She won it all – a 39-0 record (29 via fall) climaxed by a burst of spontaneity, a cartwheel/backflip on the mat seconds after her championship. That’s finishing in style for the obvious choice as The Bee’s Girls Wrestler of the Year.

The title match was wrestling’s version of a summit meeting. Both Coscia and Tran were unbeaten, but Tran owned two earlier wins over the Enochs star, one of them a close decision in the 2016 state third-place match. Coscia knew it eventually would come down to her versus Tran, and a win on that stage would settle the score.

Her title was hard-earned. Tran’s takedown put her in front 4-2 but Coscia answered immediately with an armbar to tie with 30 seconds left. The Modestan never led until the final moment. Most observers felt it was the most thrilling final that night at the Visalia Convention Center.

“I can’t put into words that last match. It was simply amazing, incredible to watch,” Enochs coach Duane Brooks said. “She put in all the hard work, did all the right things and had a lot of fun doing it.”

Coscia climbed wrestling’s demanding hill the right way. As a freshman, she was a member of Enochs’ “Fab Four,” the girls who came home from Visalia with a state team title. Individual state medals for third and fourth place raised her expectations this season. Before, she stood behind two-time state champion Sariyah Jones. In 2017, Coscia was the leader.

“When you’re a leader, you have to work harder than the people looking up to you,” Coscia said. “I try to push them, which pushes me, too. It’s kind of like a balance of us making each other better.”

Her title at the Napa Valley Girls Classic, the season’s best regular-season barometer, indicated she was on schedule. Her titles at the Sac-Joaquin Section Regional (at Enochs) and the Masters reinforced the point – she was chasing glory.

That chase actually began in sixth grade. Always athletic, Coscia was encouraged by a teacher to give a new sport a chance. She loved it from the start.

“I didn’t know what wrestling was. It sounded aggressive so I said, ‘Yes,’” she said. “I was instantly good at it and I never wanted to stop.”

Before she enrolled at Enochs, Coscia won two state middle-school titles. Now that she’s added to her collection, she wants more. Her next target is becoming the first athlete in Enochs history to win four state medals in any sport.

“You never know what next year brings,” she said. “This year, I worked very hard. Next year, I’ll work just as hard.”

Note – The Bee, after several years of recognizing a Girls Wrestler of the Year, introduces its first All-Stanislaus District Girls Wrestling Team. The sport’s increasing number of participants dictated the expansion.

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 7:55 PM with the headline "Girls Wrestler of the Year: Enochs’ Coscia celebrates perfection."