Leader of the Pack Tournament
East Los Angeles College hosted the 2nd annual Leader of the Pack women’s wrestling tournament on Saturday, April 6. Nine of the 12 California community college women’s wrestling teams participated. Mollie Jimenez wrestled in three bouts in the tournament. She won two and lost one to claim the silver medal in the 109-pound weight class.
vs Lucy Guadarrama, Cerritos College
Leader of the Pack tournament, Bout 6 — Mollie Jimenez, ELAC vs Lucy Guadarrama, Cerritos College
Mollie Jimenez, Embracing the Mask
She doesn’t do flying leaps off the ropes. No over-the-top performances. No macho-woman atmosphere. And she doesn’t wear a mask. Or does she? Just a year into her wrestling career, ELAC 109-pound weight class wrestler Jimenez had lost all of her bouts this season. A week ago, she bleached her hair and dyed it pink. The next day, she won her first bout of the season. Since then, she’s been mostly winning.
I feel like I’m more confident when I have really bright hair. I love it when it’s neon. It’s really motivational. When I pass a mirror I scare myself, ‘Whoa!’
Mollie Jimenez, on her neon pink hair
Is a luchador’s mask, or Jimenez’ neon pink hair a performance? Something put on? Or a peek behind the curtain at an authentic self?
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
Oscar Wilde
A family tradition?
With a high school wrestling father and a stepfather and Nino who were both luchadors, was Jimenez destined to become a wrestler? Maybe. But it took a while.
As a freshman at Mountain View High School in El Monte, Jimenez was infatuated with wrestling and thought it’d be cool to join. Then COVID happened, and her sophomore year was online. Back on campus as a junior, she had the wrestling flyer in her hand, put it in her backpack, and said to herself, “I’m gonna do it.” She tried to get a friend to try wrestling with her, but no one was interested, and she didn’t go. And then it was her senior year, and Jimenez said to herself,
It’s my last year! I’m just gonna do it. I’m gonna stop being shy just because nobody I know is in it.
Mollie Jimenez, on starting wrestling as a high school senior
Jimenez’ dad always talked about wrestling. He loved being in the wrestling room but couldn’t do tournaments because he always got grade cut. When he finally got his grades up, he got a job and couldn’t wrestle anymore. Her stepdad had her older sister when he was about 18 and couldn’t wrestle anymore either. They had to stop because they had responsibilities. They both talk about their sadness at leaving the sport. Jimenez feels that part of her motivation to be a wrestler is seeing what they couldn’t do and being inspired to make it happen in her life.
vs Stephany Zamora, Santa Ana College
Leader of the Pack tournament, Bout 29 — Mollie Jimenez, ELAC vs Stephany Zamora, Santa Ana College
I like the aggression
When Jimenez’ senior year of high school wrestling ended, she tried joining track but didn’t enjoy it. Finally having started, now it was all about wrestling for her. She likes the contact, being hands-on, being aggressive. “I think it’s fun to get aggressive with people,” Jimenez said. She also says that she found in wrestling something she never had before: a place where there were others similar to her,
I’m pretty sure if you ask a lot of the girls they’ll say, ‘Yeah, I like the aggression.’
Mollie Jimenez, on enjoying the aggressive aspects of wrestling
Conditioning, Stamina, and Mental Toughness
Jimenez says that she enjoys the conditioning. She likes how hard it is. She feels that the team’s hard conditioning helps a lot with stamina. They get less tired during a match, feel good mentally, and keep driving. She says,
It’s a little bit of attitude too. We condition hard, we condition so hard, like we’re gonna stay up longer than them.
Mollie Jimenez, on conditioning and mental toughness
Cutting Weight
Jimenez wrestled in the 103-pound class in high school and now in the 109-pound in college. She and her ELAC practice partner were both 109 and someone had to cut down to 102 or ELAC would forfeit matches. She says, “it was between me and her, so coach chose her (laughs) I’m so grateful!”
Even 109 has been challenging for Jimenez. She thinks that she’s been stress-eating too much as the season wraps up. Yesterday, she woke up and weighed herself,
I woke up like 111-point-something, so I had to layer up, Peloton, go to the gym, treadmill, and then Peloton again, and then not eat the whole day.
Mollie Jimenez, on making weight
She says that weight cutting is really hard, but also that it’s part of what she values in her sport. That the discipline is, “part of why all of us like it in some way.”
vs Amber Chatterton, Bakersfield College
Leader of the Pack tournament, Bout 52 — Mollie Jimenez, ELAC vs Amber Chatterton, Bakersfield College
War + Peace
Jimenez wishes she could be friends with her opponents. She also had a history of being called for unnecessary aggressiveness in high school. Wrestling seems to pull so much of our deepest humanity to the surface. Conflicts. Emotions. Nurturing. Fight or flight.
On the mat I do get aggressive, but I feel literally, it’s not supposed to be like this, the switch is supposed to be on, but I feel really friendly. I wanna talk to them. But you can’t.
Mollie Jimenez, on relating to her opponent
Jimenez likes it when she smiles at an opponent, and they smile back. She feels that they have so much in common, like a community. It makes her a little sad that she found this community so late.
Wrestling is so personal, it’s just the two of you.
Mollie Jimenez, on relating to her opponent
Wrestling is hard!
“College wrestling is hard!” says Jimenez. When she asks multisport friends about other sports, they say, “‘No, wrestling is harder,’ and I’m like, yeah, cool.” She loves pushing herself physically and mentally. It’s something she’s never done before, and it makes her feel overwhelmed, and she likes that.
She plans to wrestle for ELAC again next year and then head to Cal Poly Pomona for a business degree. Cal Poly has no wrestling program,
That will be the end of wrestling, and I’m OK with it.
Mollie Jimenez, on one last year of wrestling
Mollie Jimenez, Silver Medalist
After hours of morning setup for the tournament, and hours of wrestling and waiting and wrestling again, and before hours of cleanup, medals were awarded. Jimenez placed second in the 109-pound weight class and received a silver medal. It seemed to fit her just right.
California Community College Women’s Wrestling
ELAC vs Mt. San Antonio College, Feb. 29
