Junior Hannah Teter will be competing at the state championship competition for wrestling on Friday, February 22 and Saturday, February 23. Hannah qualified for the state competition by ranking in the top three from the Central Coast Sectionals (CCS). The top three females from North, Central Bay Area and the South will come together and compete. The competition will be in a double elimination format.

“Once you lose two matches you’re officially out of the tournament,” Hannah said. “I qualified for states by taking second at CCS. While it was an immense disappointment to have lost my finals match, I plan on redeeming myself by placing at states this year.”

If Hannah does well at the tournament, she will qualify for the national wrestling team. Based on her performance in the national competition, she may be able to travel outside the country and wrestle in international competitions.

This will be Hannah’s third time competing at states, and she expects a lot of competition.

“Each year, it becomes harder just to qualify for state,” Hannah said. “I’m honored to say I have the coaching staff and teammates that have gotten me to this point and are making me a champion. By qualifying for state, it is my way of showing to those who have ever doubted me that I as a female can do great, and for those who have been by my side during all the heartache, I say, ‘Thank you.’”

Hannah began wrestling when she was a freshman at school.

“My decision in entering the sport was due to my background in Kajukenbo, which persuaded me to keep up a physical sport,” Hannah said. “So when I moved here to Los Altos, it was clear that joining the wrestling team would be the best choice.”

Throughout her wrestling career in high school, she has learned much about the sport but knows there is always room for improvement.

“I’ve learned that your best isn’t your greatest and your greatest isn’t going to be perfect, that your 100 percent isn’t 110 percent,” Hannah said. “[In] my freshman year, my coach would non-stop have to yell at me to stop saying sorry every time my partner winced. It took me to the end of my freshman year to figure out that was my problem, then all of sophomore year to learn how to channel, and now, my junior year, I’ve been able to finally apply the lesson.”

Hannah also says that wrestling has taught her many life lessons.

“What it has truly done for me, is [to help me] learn not only the skills and techniques I need for the mat, but [also] life lessons,” Hannah said. “I understand leadership on a whole other degree. My communication skills have developed, [and I am] understanding how my body works. … Wrestling is not just a sport or game; it is decision to take on an entirely new lifestyle, to learn how to adapt and survive. In essence wrestling has provided me an escape and safe-haven.”