Bella Chiovari
Q: What are some of your accomplishments in wrestling?
A: I was a MSL Conference champ in 2023-2024, and I was 2nd this year. I’ve also been a sectional qualifier for the past 2 years and went to Nationals.
Q: How has wrestling shaped you as a person throughout high school?
A:As one of the hardest sports out there, it really teaches you so much. I’ve become so much more confident in myself, inside and out. I gained an in-depth understanding of the mind and how hard fighting your mentality really is. Practices and meets here at Hoffman are a privilege, they won’t last forever. Wrestling truly shaped me into a version of myself I never knew was possible.
Q: How would you describe the bond between you and your teammates?
A: A bond like ours is very fortunate, and I’m so grateful to have these girls every step. We all trust each other to do each of our parts, and remind each other that we are an unstoppable force. Many girls, including myself, made so many good friends. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried and we’ve become better. I consider every single girl on this team my family.
Abigail Ji
Q:What are some of your accomplishments in wrestling?
A: I just won the MSL conference for the fourth time making me a four full-time Congress champ. This was important to me as it was the first in Hoffman Estates and the first in girls wrestling. I also Qualified for state 3 times and recently reached my 100th win.
Q: What’s a time you had to overcome a really tough competition?
A:One of the toughest competitions I’ve ever wrestled was during this season at the Hawk Invite tournament. I went head to head with a state champion that is ranked nationally and it was a pretty close match, but she ended up winning. But I think she was one of the toughest opponents I’ve ever had to wrestle throughout my season this year.
Q: What impacted you the most from wrestling?
A: I think something that impacted me the most from wrestling is my confidence. Ever since I’ve wrestled I’ve really come out of my shell and been more outgoing, making me develop my mental toughness a lot.
Q: What have you learned throughout the years?
A: I don’t fear a lot of things anymore, as I’ve learned to just go with the flow. My coach has always had a saying that’s impacted me, ” be comfortable being uncomfortable.” Throughout my four years of wrestling at Hoffman, I’ve also learned that I don’t need that athletic gift that some people are born with, I just need the passion and willingness to go the extra mile.
