Deaf female high school wrestler wins state title
Renca Dunn, Daily Moth Reporter: Antonia Phillips, (this is her name sign), who’s 17 and is a Deaf wrestler from Alton High School in Illinois, won the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state girls wrestling title at 140 pounds.
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Antonia is the first of several things. This year is the first time that IHSA has had an all-girls wrestling tournament on a state level so Antonia is the first person to win at this first all-girls state tournament. Antonia is the first person to win a state championship title for Alton High School and the first wrestling champion for Alton High School.
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She is currently a junior and grew up most of her life in Alton, Illinois. Her family is mostly Deaf. Her parents Lupe and Durondo are alumni of the Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD). They have 8 children, 5 of them are Deaf. Antonia is the 3rd of the 8 children and the oldest of the 5 Deaf children.
We reached out to Lupe (Antonia’s mother) and Antonia for an interview.
Renca: First things first, I have to congratulate you on winning your first-ever state title! That's a big deal! You're the first female to win and you're deaf too, that is incredible. I know the community is so excited to learn more about your story. First I'd like to ask you, Antonia, about your background and upbringing. Did you love wrestling growing up, or is this new for you? Tell us about it!
Antonia: Sure, so my dad had me join wrestling because he noticed how competitive I was with my brother. So I joined, then I stopped for a bit, then I got back into it in middle school and I got more focused on it because of the tournaments. So that's how I started.
Renca: And how do you feel now that you've won the state title?
Antonia: I feel good! It's been my goal to get to state, and it's awesome to be part of this all-girls wrestling tournament and win it.
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Renca: Now Lupe, I'm sure you've been so incredibly proud of your daughter through all of this. How do you feel when you watch your daughter wrestle? I mean, she won the state championship! What emotions are you feeling about this?
Lupe: I never dreamed this would happen. My daughter won! She made history for the city of Alton! She is representing Deaf people and the girls in Alton to show that she can do anything just as hearing people can do. It is no different. I want to educate them that Deaf people can do it!
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Renca: What's your advice for other Deaf girls watching, who might be interested in joining wrestling? Any tips for them?
Antonia: Well first, when you join this sport (wrestling), you might feel frustrated because there are others who might be more skilled than you or stronger. You have to be patient and it will become better for you in the end.
Renca: Yes. And Lupe, what is your advice for parents whose children might be interested in joining wrestling? What can you tell them?
Lupe: As a parent myself, I hope other parents will encourage their children to be more involved with activities. Today technology takes away kids’ attention from sports, activities, etc. I hope parents can be patient and encourage their kids to be involved with something. Yes, it is easy for kids to say they don’t want to do this or something, but the important thing is that the parents try. I always tell my kids, just try it! Like Antonia did not really want to wrestle as a sport, but she tried it and look! You have to try to see if you like it or not. Don’t give up.
Antonia mentioned that she aims to win another state championship for her senior year. We reached out to her coach Eric Roberson for a comment. He has been coaching Alton High School wrestling for 26 years. We asked him what his thoughts were and he said that he is very proud and excited for Antonia. He coaches Antonia and her other Deaf brother Antoine. Eric mentioned that it is his first time coaching Deaf wrestlers. We asked what his goal would be for Antonia next year, this is what he said:
[Full-screen text: “I think my goals for her is to win state again and become a 2-time state champ. It is very difficult to repeat as things change, and there are many variables that go into this, so we just have to take it day by day and treat every day as if the state tournament is right around the corner, and I'm sure she will not waste any time. I also think this could be a great avenue for college for her.”]
Renca: The celebration of Antonia’s win continues. The mayor of Alton announced that all signs- you know when you enter a city, there is a welcoming sign- so the mayor said to have all signs for every road entrance into the city of Alton to display: “Welcome to Alton, Home of Antonia Phillips, 2022 IHSA Girls Wrestling STATE CHAMPION.”
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Also, every year on March 4th, the city of Alton recognizes March 4th as “Antonia Phillips Day.” What an accomplishment! If you happen to be driving through the city of Alton, make sure that you take a selfie with that sign! Antonia is definitely an inspiration and hopefully will inspire the numbers of Deaf female wrestlers to grow. We, the Daily Moth team, want to say congratulations to Antonia for making history!!