FORKS — The high school career of Forks’ Brooke Peterson reflects a hard-fought quest for acceptance and respect.
These are the same principles her chosen sport, girls wrestling, strives to achieve as it becomes more and more a part of the mainstream with each passing season.
There were some holdouts during her senior year with the Spartans, a few who clung to the belief that girls wrestling isn’t a “real” sport, despite the proliferation of girls wrestlers on high school and college campuses nationwide.
Peterson’s performance as a senior was special regardless of gender.
A team captain for the Spartans, Peterson won more than 30 matches with just three defeats, claimed subregional and regional titles and earned a second-place finish in the 145-pound weight class at her fourth consecutive Mat Classic state tournament.
Peterson also has been selected as the first ever All-Peninsula Girls Wrestling MVP by area coaches and the sports staff of the Peninsula Daily News.
Despite some objections from her worried parents, Peterson started grappling at the age 11 with Forks’ Peninsula Wrestling Club.
“I had done soccer, a little bit of basketball and softball, but I was mostly there to be involved,” Peterson said.
“There was no sport I was super passionate about.”
Peterson said she quickly took to wrestling even if she was one of just two girls wrestlers with classmate Tristen Williams.
“I think I enjoyed it so much because it was when I started to blossom as an athlete and in school,” Peterson said.
“Wrestling taught me how to stay motivated, improve myself and better myself.”
Things turned out well for Peterson, who “didn’t seem like was going to be a top-notch wrestler” when she walked onto the mat as a freshman, according to Forks wrestling coach Bob Wheeler.
“She wasn’t the most athletic, but she liked it and kept working hard,” Wheeler said.
“She just worked hard all the time and kept getting better and made it to state that year.”
The state experience, in front of a packed house of thousands of ardent wrestling supporters at the Tacoma Dome was an eye opener for Peterson, who was quickly eliminated.
“I think it really made her think, Gee, I made state, now I really need to do something,” Wheeler said.
“And she just kept improving.”
This year, Peterson kept grinding and emerged as a team leader, accepted by the vast majority of the team.
“My junior year I was a captain and the boys didn’t accept it,” Peterson said.
“Some of the boys weren’t exactly kind to me and the coaches had to stop having captains.”
“But for my senior year it was important to be a captain and be seen as a captain and I think being older and being a senior helped dramatically.”
Peterson, a fan of the side roll move, added more dimensions to her arsenal.
“This year she had a good set of takedowns and really worked on a strong leg and making those takedowns count,” Wheeler said.
Her goal was the top of the podium at Mat Classic.
“I wanted to win state so bad,” Peterson said.
“Participating in a state championship tournament was a dream come true.
“I just worked hard every single day to try and realize that dream.
“I can’t remember a single practice where I didn’t give 110 percent and I think that’s what did it.”
Peterson fell in the finals to the only wrestler to beat her this season, nationally-ranked Tatum Sparks of Othello.
She still enjoyed the experience of competing at the Tacoma Dome.
“It’s incredible when you first walk out to the floor,” Peterson said.
“There’s so many lights, so many people. You get the opportunity to perform in the same place as incredibly famous people. It was an honor to compete there.”
Peterson was motivated to achieve away from the mat as well.
Peterson was the salutatorian for the Forks Class of 2015 after posting a 3.92 GPA.
She also earned her second consecutive WIAA Academic State Championship for posting the highest GPA in her weight class.
With those grades and accolades, Peterson was accepted by her dream school, the University of Washington.
She said she turned down scholarship offers to compete for female wrestling programs for the chance to study in Seattle.
But Peterson said she plans to compete with the Husky Wrestling Club.
“I’m not dropping it yet, “ Peterson said.
“Wrestling is something I’m still pursuing.”
Wheeler is happy she’ll keep going with the sport and believes the club, and the school are getting someone special.
“She’s a good kid to have around,” Wheeler said.
“You can count on her to be there and serve as a good role model.
“If Brooke says it, she means it and she does it.”
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
