Girls Wrestler, Junior Ella Cooper, has been named this week’s Athlete of the Week for her outstanding performance, leadership, and consistent demonstration of E.A.S.T.’s core values of excellence, academics, spirit, and tradition.
Cooper recently earned All-Conference honors, placing second at the SPC Conference Tournament, a milestone achievement that reflects her dedication and growth within the girls wrestling program.
Girls wrestling coach Bryan DeBenedetti has seen Cooper’s impact extend far beyond competition results.
“Ella is a big leader in the room. She is always helping other teammates with technique and cheering on the rest of the girls,” DeBenedetti said.
Cooper has been wrestling since seventh grade, and what keeps her motivated goes beyond wins and losses.
“My favorite thing about it is the community and the people,” Cooper said. “One thing I especially love is making friends. Even from rival schools, I still make friends. It’s awesome.”
The sense of community is something Cooper actively contributes to. According to her twin sister Eve Cooper, a swimmer, Ella consistently goes out of her way to support her teammates.
“She will bring snacks and gifts to the team before competitions, and she always comes in with a positive mindset that brightens up the room on a daily basis,” Eve said.
When challenges arise, Cooper uses connection to push through difficult moments.
“For me personally, I tend to talk to other people,” Cooper said. “I like being around people a lot, so just being around people makes me feel better, and making other people feel better at the same time makes me feel better.”
Her work ethic is just as strong as her leadership. During the season, Cooper wrestles every day except Sundays, and even on off days she continues training independently.
“Even on days we don’t have practice, I do workouts at my house,” Cooper said. “I have a gym in my garage, so I do weightlifting and various other cardio exercises.”
As a junior, Cooper has her eyes on the future and hopes to continue wrestling at the collegiate level.
“I aspire to wrestle in college,” Cooper said. “The college I really want to go to is Eureka, but that’s not set in stone.”
When asked what wrestling has taught her, Cooper emphasized perseverance.
“Just keep on pushing through,” Cooper said. “Even if things get hard, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
For freshmen at East just starting wrestling, Cooper offers some good advice.
“Consistency,” she said. “Just keep going with it, and you’ll get better as time goes on.”
Through her success, leadership, and positivity, Cooper continues to be a huge contributor to the girls wrestling program and a deserving recipient of this week’s Athlete of the Week.
Written by junior Michelle Wannah. Edited by staff writers for Oswego East’s online news magazine The Howl.