Maya Nelson admits it. She may not have shown it, but she was scared heading into the state wrestling tournament a year ago.
“Subconsciously, I was a little frightened at making it,” Nelson said. “I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s bigger stakes.’ But now I see it’s another tournament.”
Funny what a year of training and competing can do, in addition to state, national and international success. Nelson, who competes in Class 5A at 120 pounds for Denver East, not only enters Thursday’s 80th state tournament as the only girl among 896 participants, she may become her gender’s first-ever place-winner.
“I’m definitely gunning for it this year,” said Nelson, a Montbello resident. “I know I can.”
Angels coach Randy Gallegos believes she has a chance to place, too.
“She almost did it last year,” he said. “She’s had a tremendous senior year. It has been incredible. It’s an honor to coach her. If I had 10 wrestlers with her heart, we’d be state champions.”
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At the 2014 tournament, Nelson became the first girl in state history both to qualify for big-school competition and win a match. After advancing to the quarterfinals, she dropped consecutive close matches, including losing in the consolation round in the final three seconds to end her tournament. But the losses have been few and far between since.
She enters this year’s tournament with a 31-5 record.
Nelson won three tournaments — at Pueblo Centennial, Brighton and the Denver Prep League gathering. She also was runner-up in last week’s regional at Smoky Hill. She didn’t wrestle in the final because of back pain and took a forfeit.
“People think it was because of strategy,” Gallegos said of pulling Nelson out of the championship match to lessen the wear and tear on her body heading into state. “But you could tell her back was really bothering her.”
Nelson said she has been doing regular workouts modified by lots of stretching this week to help ease the pain in her back and said she’ll be ready for the state tournament.
Since being eliminated at state a year ago, Nelson won her third junior national title. She didn’t allow a point while competing in Fargo, N.D. Internationally, she won in Canada, took first in the German Grand Prix — and was named USA Wrestler of the week for her efforts — won the Austrian Open, and last spring won at the Pan-American Games, where she was undefeated.
As for one of her few losses? It came as a singer. She was eliminated after advancing to the second round of competition when “The Voice” television show came to Denver. Nelson has pipes. She sang the national anthem before the DPL tournament as well as a dual meet between Arvada West and Pomona, the two powers expected to decide the Class 5A state team race.
“It was a really fun experience singing for ‘The Voice,’ ” Nelson said. “But I think I psyched myself out after making the second round. It’s something I love to do.”
Denver East teammates have learned to respect her, some finding out the hard way.
David Kavanagh, a junior 132-pounder and one of three Angels state qualifiers, said: “As a freshman, she beat me up every day (in practice). I hardly scored a point on her. She basically made me good.”
Dominic Resendez, an Angels sophomore who is rehabbing a knee injury, said he has trained with Nelson “for four or five hours per day” and acknowledges the “mixed” reaction Nelson gets when going against males.
“Some people agree with it, others don’t,” he said. “But at the same time a lot of people support her.”
Gallegos said he coaches Nelson as he does his male wrestlers.
“(I) take the approach that she’s a wrestler. I don’t view her as a girl,” Gallegos said. ” I’m probably harder on her than other wrestlers for the mere fact she knows I give her my best and she can’t cut corners because it’s tougher for her. Boys are a lot stronger. She has to use technique, and she has a tremendous heart. This is her sport.”
Nelson, who is carrying a 4.2 grade-point average, will compete next season on the women’s wrestling team at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky.
Yes, she has larger aspirations than getting to stand on the podium at the Pepsi Center on Saturday night, which would mean she placed or won a state championship against boys. Denver East hasn’t had a champion since Henry Kofa in 2004.
But, no, she won’t pass on the chance for final high school glory.
If it happens, she said, “I’ll definitely be happy.”
Neil H. Devlin: ndevlin@denverpost.com or
Colorado high school state wrestling tournament
When: Thursday through Saturday
Where: Pepsi Center
Tickets: Available at the Pepsi Center. $10 adults; $9 for children/seniors for sessions 1, 2 and 5; $11 for sessions 3 and 4; $13 for session 6.
Session 1: 2A/3A prelims, 3-6:15 p.m. Thursday
Session 2: 4A/5A prelims, 7:15-10:45 p.m. Thursday
Session 3: Quarterfinals, first-round consolation, 10 a.m. Friday
Session 4: Semifinals, second-round consolation, 5:45 p.m. Friday
Session 5: Consolations, fifth- and third-place matches, 10:30 a.m. Saturday
Session 6: Finals, 6:30 p.m. Saturday
