蜜柚直播

A cheering crowd of her family and friends awaited her.

Thirteen-year-old Audrey, a member of Sunnyside Wrestling Academy and the USA Wrestling National Team, went undefeated in her three matches at the U15 Pan American women鈥檚 freestyle championships in Panama on Saturday, earning her the gold medal for her 39-kilogram weight class.

鈥淚 just wrestled how I usually wrestle, and there wasn鈥檛 really any surprise there,鈥� Audrey said. 鈥淭he people (in Panama) are so loving and so kind. The girls I wrestled, after the match they congratulated me and we talked. My Nana translated for me since I couldn鈥檛 talk to them, but they were so nice.鈥�

Audrey, a self-proclaimed foodie, said she loved the food in Panama.

鈥淎fter I made weight, I ate a lot,鈥� Audrey said, laughing. Her weight bracket for the tournament was 85.8 pounds, but she actually came in nearly 3 pounds under. 鈥淚 felt good. I was light, but I felt strong.鈥�

Twelve hours after her return to the States, Audrey was back in the gym for training, demonstrating the machinelike work ethic that鈥檚 earned her the respect of her coaches and peers.

Later Tuesday morning, Audrey was honored at Gallego Intermediate Fine Arts Magnet School for her academic achievements during the first quarter of the school year. While Audrey has missed some classes because of out-of-town tournaments and development camps, she鈥檚 still managed to maintain her 4.0 GPA and earned the eighth grade algebra and humanities awards.

By Tuesday afternoon, a video on Billy Jimenez鈥檚 Facebook page of Audrey walking to the podium in Panama to receive her gold medal had more than 5,000 views. Thousands of people had also tuned in to watch videos of her Pan Am matches.

鈥淪he鈥檚 a fantastic kid. Her work ethic is phenomenal,鈥� USA Wrestling coach Mike Duran told the Star. Duran is the developmental coach for California USA Wrestling and the high school elite coach for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club.

The 15U age group in relatively new to the Pan Am Championships, having just completed its fifth year. Duran has coached for three of those years and said the talent has increased tremendously in that time.

鈥淎udrey is a very, very, very technical and talented wrestler. There weren鈥檛 too many kids that gave her much of a challenge,鈥� Duran said. 鈥淪he kind of just went in there, was laser-focused on doing her job, got it done and then came off the mat.鈥�

Duran said he鈥檚 been around girl鈥檚 and women鈥檚 wrestling at a national level for the past decade, and he believes Audrey鈥檚 commitment, focus and drive will keep her in the sport for a long time.

鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of kids that have been a part of our developmental programs and national teams, but you know when you see someone that鈥檚 focused and wants to get the job done and get to the next level, and that鈥檚 her,鈥� Duran said. 鈥淭o be at that level at any sport takes a lot of sacrifice from the athlete, but from the family as well. I just kind of felt like (the Jimenezes are) all in, and that鈥檚 what it takes.鈥�

Audrey is already back in the grind in preparation for another national competition. She and her family will head up to Phoenix on the weekends to get her reacquainted with scholastic wrestling, the style practiced in middle and high schools in the U.S. Some of her recent matches, including Pan Am, have been freestyle, which is slightly different. Traveling to tournaments outside of 蜜柚直播 allows Audrey the opportunity to wrestle new opponents, who are always boys, according to her father, Billy Jimenez.

In December, Audrey will travel to Colorado Springs for the King of the Mountain tournament, where she鈥檒l compete to be both king and queen, since she鈥檒l wrestle both boys and girls.

鈥淭hat was a great tournament last year,鈥� Audrey said.

Audrey won鈥檛 be away from the international circuit for long: In March, she鈥檒l travel to Estonia for the Tallinn Open as a member of the U.S. Female Wrestling Travel Team World Tour. The Tallinn Open is Europe鈥檚 largest wrestling tournament, with more than 2,200 wrestlers from 29 countries having competed in 2019.

In May, she鈥檒l head to Irving, Texas, for the Women鈥檚 Nationals. If she wins, she鈥檒l earn a spot on the United World Wrestling Team. The UWW is the governing body for amateur wrestling and oversees wrestling in the Olympics.

Before Audrey heads to Fargo for the US Marine Corps/USAW Junior National Championships in July, she鈥檒l have to make a decision about her plans for high school. While coaches for the Sunnyside High School team would love to have her as a member, Audrey is also considering Wyoming Seminary, a boarding school in Pennsylvania with a top-ranked wrestling program. Within days of Audrey鈥檚 victory at the Pan Am Championship, Wyoming Seminary鈥檚 wrestling coach had already contacted Billy to get the ball rolling on a visit to the school.

While Audrey鈥檚 drive and commitment to wrestling is often praised by those who know her, Audrey says it鈥檚 just the way she鈥檚 always been.

鈥淚 do put in the work, but the way I see things and how I mentally prepare myself, I think it鈥檚 just natural to me.鈥� Audrey said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the things I do, I think. I know the right things to do, I know the wrong things to do, whether it has to do with school, social life or wrestling.鈥�

Before Audrey鈥檚 plane landed at TIA, her mother and sister talked to a group of Air Force members gathered in the arrival area to meet a colleague.

Audrey鈥檚 mother and sister, Denise and Alyssa Jimenez, told the servicemen about Audrey and her accomplishments, to which one of the men replied, 鈥淲e get to greet an American hero, too.鈥�

Realizing a moment later that his statement needed clarifying, he pointed at one of the posters adorned with photos of Audrey and added, 鈥淪he鈥檚 the hero.鈥�

For Audrey鈥檚 growing community of friends and supporters, that鈥檚 certainly the case.