Faith Tarrant is in exclusive company.
Last month, the Prairie junior won her third state wrestling title. She pinned every opponent she faced for the second season in a row.
As a senior, Tarrant will have a chance to become just the fifth girl to win four state championships since girls wrestling became part of Mat Classic in 2004.
After a season in which she went 38-0, Tarrant is The Columbian’s All-Region girls wrestler of the year for a third time.
Far from the talented but unsure freshman she used to be, Tarrant now embraces being a role model for the small-but-expanding community of girls wrestling.
Whether through her success on the mat or her welcoming approach to fellow wrestlers off it, Tarrant relishes helping her sport and its athletes grow.
“I just want girls to feel confident,” Tarrant said. “I want them to feel that sense of community. Everyone loves winning. I love winning. But I want to leave a touch of me on the other girls so they can help girls how I did.”
Confidence is where Tarrant has grown the most in the past year, said Prairie wrestling coach Rob Smith. Instead of sticking to her tried-and-true techniques, the three-time 235-pound champ wasn’t afraid to try some new moves.
Some of that was by necessity.
“Girls started to figure out how Faith wrestles and started literally training to beat Faith,” Smith said. “Because of that she had to tweak her style.”
Sometimes a new technique didn’t work. But she still had the talent and composure to recover from a bad position.
“It’s like, OK I’m on the bottom but so what,” Smith said. “I’m going to get to my feet, get a reversal, get a takedown and finish the match.”
One of those instances happened in the district tournament, when a brief moment on her back nearly led to defeat. Avoiding that fueled Tarrant through the postseason.
“That’s just not in the books for me,” Tarrant said. “I understand that losing is part of the sport. But I feel like if I work hard enough, it’s something I want so badly that I can accomplish it.”
In the high school where he teaches skilled trades including welding, Smith has seen the impact Tarrant has forged.
When he walks the Prairie halls looking for potential wrestlers, Smith points to Tarrant as an example of what’s possible for girls in the sport.
“Body types, height, it doesn’t matter,” Smith said. “Having somebody in Faith’s shoes who has wrestled with the excellence she has is going to draw people to the sport.”
Three down, one to go. Becoming a four-time state champion would put Tarrant in a club by herself among local girl wrestlers.
But for Tarrant, that doesn’t mean the other girls are excluded.
“I realized there’s this community within us girls where everyone is so passionate about (wrestling),” Tarrant said. “It was there the whole time. It’s just me breaking the ice.”
All-Region Girls Wrestling
Wrestler of the Year — Faith Tarrant, Prairie
The rest of the All-Region team:
Ahmiya Brox, Union — The senior placed fifth at 190 pounds, reaching the state semifinals. Regional runner-up.
Kadence Burleson, Evergreen — The senior placed seventh in state at 170 pounds. Clark County champ, Pac Coast finalist and second at regionals.
Niah Cassidy, Union — The senior ended her career with a state title at 130 pounds, losing just one match all season.
Kiersten Lees, Washougal — The 2A GSHL wrestler of the year placed third in state at 135 pounds. Senior was Clark County champ.
Kamailie Taisacan, Mountain View — The senior placed seventh in state at 115 pounds. Clark County champ and regional runner-up.
Aaliyah Young, Prairie — The senior placed fourth in state at 170 pounds after placing third last season. Third at regionals.
