By Douglas W. Motley
Senior Writer
Rim of the World High School senior Hailey Chapman completed her high school wrestling career in impressive fashion on Saturday, Feb. 26 at the CIF Girl’s State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield.
Chapman, who hails from a family that’s no stranger to wrestling championships, is the niece of Rim High School’s three-time California CIF wrestling champion, Scott Chapman, who captured first-place honors in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Hailey’s father also wrestled for Rim from 1986 to 1989.
According to the Rim High woman’s wrestling coach Stacy Chapman, who is Hailey’s mother, her daughter is the first female wrestler at Rim to be a two-time Girl’s CIF champion, two-time Girl’s Masters champion, three-time state qualifier, two-time Girl’s state placer and 2021 Girl’s national All American.
Hailey told The Alpine Mountaineer on Sunday that she’s been wrestling since she was little and really became serious about her training in her eighth-grade year when she won the CAGWA (California Age Group Wrestling Association) state title for the second time.
“Wrestling is so much more than a sport to me; it is my life,” Hailey said. “Wrestling has taught me to be a disciplined individual in not only the sport but also in life. It has taught me that not everything in life is given to you. If you want something bad enough, there are no excuses as to why you can’t or shouldn’t do it.”
According to Coach Chapman, even though Hailey was undefeated in her senior year regular season with a 41-0 record, she took an unfortunate loss in the first round of 32 at the state tournament in the 131-pound weight class.
As a two-time returning state qualifier and a state placer (2019 sixth place), Hailey was poised and ready to take on the competition and be in the finals. But, with the unfortunate first-round loss, she dropped down to the consolation side of the bracket where she would battle back for third, the toughest road to take through the state championships.
“However,” said Coach Chapman, “in true character, with determination and laser focus, Hailey fought back through the consolation bracket and pinned her way to the third-place match. She won seven straight (six pins) matches to take the consolation championship spot, a third-place finish at 131 pounds. The seemingly impossible feat was accomplished in dominating fashion! The heart of a true champion takes defeat, turns setbacks into comebacks and Hailey did just that!” said the obviously proud mom.
As a four-year varsity wrestler on both boy’s (freshman year) and girl’s teams and a team captain, Hailey has reportedly maintained academic honors all four years with a 3.7 GPA. She completed her high school career with an impressive 121-16 overall record with 39 falls (pins) in her senior year alone.
Her high school honors include Outstanding Rookie of the Year 2019; Outstanding Wrestler 2020; League Champion 2019, 2020 and 2022 (no season in 2021 due to COVID). She was also named CIF Southern Section Second Place in 2019 and CIF Southern Section Champion in 2020 and 2022. In 2019, she placed in the top 12 of the CIF’s State Qualifiers, captured sixth place honors in 2020, third place in 2022 and All American in 2021, in addition to capturing eighth place in the USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals in 2021.
Hailey Chapman reportedly signed with Colorado Mesa University in December and will wrestle for CMU’s women’s wrestling team with a scholarship in the fall.
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