Winning a state championship has always been the goal for Wetumpka’s Juliana Eldridge.
Doing it as only an eighth-grader two years ago, Eldridge has known her capability for a long time. And this year as a sophomore, she wanted a repeat.
And that’s exactly what she did. Eldridge won the AHSAA Class 6A/7A state championship at 114 pounds.
“She just had an incredible year,” Wetumpka coach Josh Highland said. “Obviously to go from winning it as an eighth-grader then she finished second last year, then she had a statement of having a bigger comeback. She went 35-0 this year, beat multiple undefeated wrestlers, won every tournament. Then to go and cap it off with a state championship, it was just a great year for her.”
Eldridge is now ranked No. 30 in the nation at her weight class, according to Highland.
But what’s really impressive about Eldridges’ reign to the top is her attitude.
Although she comes across as a relatively shy and quiet person, she immediately turns it on when it comes to the mat.
“She’s just so aggressive,” Highland said. “Watching her wrestler, you can’t figure her out because it’s like when the whistle blows, she knows she’s gonna beat you. That’s just her mindset. You’re not gonna take her down; you’re not gonna beat her. She has that mindset and she’s not giving up.”
That aggressive style was certainly on display at the state championships as Eldridge racked up the points. Her tournament started in the semifinals where she defeated Stanhope Elmore’s Aryanna Ivey, 15-10. She then had to gut out a 5-2 decision over Tuscaloosa County’s Avery Bowden to advance to the championship.
In the final bout, Eldridge was absolutely unstoppable, finishing with an 11-0 victory over Kaydence Seigler, of Thompson.
“She’s very hard to score on, and just her mindset is what makes her great and what you want as a coach,” Highland said.
Eldridge has been wrestling since she was a youngster and her success is breeding success in the Wetumpka wrestling program. Highland said Eldridge’ winning the title just goes to show other girls that hard work can pay off.
With two years remaining in her varsity career, Highland has high expectations for his star wrestler.
“I’m fully expecting her to be the first four-time state champion, female or male, just overall, to walk the halls of Wetumpka,” Highland said. “I fully expect that. She just has that grit, and I really think she can do it.”
