Vermilion's Jenkins completes rapid ascent to state title

COLUMBUS — Four months ago, Brooke Jenkins had never wrestled. On Sunday night, the Vermilion senior finished her brief wrestling career as a state champion. "It's so crazy," Jenkins said. "A few years ago, I was kind of a nobody. I didn't really have any friends. I didn't do any sports. Thinking that my name will be up in Vermilion High School forever in the history books is just insane, because it's somewhere I never thought I'd be. My heart is over-spilling with joy." Jenkins' ascent brought her to the top of the 235-pound podium at the OHSAA's second girls state tournament at the Schottenstein Center. She came to Columbus as a regional third-placer with a 24-7 record. She left as the Sailors' first state wrestling champion since 1993. "Honestly, my mind is completely blank except for happiness," Jenkins said. "I never thought I'd get this far. My coaches had faith in me. Without their help, I wouldn't be here. I'm just so excited." Jenkins never imagined something like this. How could she? She picked up some recruitment from classmate Lauren Ficker, and it sounded like a cool idea to Jenkins, who wants to go into law enforcement. "I was thinking I wanted to cut some weight, work out more, get my body in shape for the future," Jenkins said. "You need to have a sharp body and mind for (law enforcement), and that's what this sport does." Jenkins, at an athletic, strong 5-foot-11, showed visual potential before she learned a single wrestling move. "Brooke showed up, and I was like, this is something we can work with," Vermilion assistant Gary Howell said. "The first time I watched her wrestle, I told coach (Brandon) Gilbert we were gonna make a state run if she stays the course. She's just so smart, so athletic and so strong." There was still much to learn in little time. And just as important as the technique was the belief — understanding that a brand-new wrestler can nonetheless overpower a veteran. "I always tell myself before the match, I have the strength of God in me," Jenkins said. "It's gonna lead me through this. I am the one. I'm not gonna get beat." Jenkins had put together a strong season before this weekend. Winning 75% of her matches and making it to state would've qualified as a very successful only season on the mat. But then Jenkins caught fire. She won her opening state match with a second-period pin and started to believe. "It really clicked with Brooke after round one," Howell said. "She was like, 'Man, I can really compete.' We'd been telling her that the whole time. (This accomplishment) is all on her shoulders." Jenkins crushed her quarterfinal, winning by 17-2 technical fall after just 2 1/2 minutes. And when Jenkins went out and picked up a fall after 3:08 in the state semifinal on Saturday night, she figured she had made it this far, so why not finish? "I'm gonna be honest, when I made it to the finals, I really didn't believe it," Jenkins said. "My coach has been telling me I could do this, and I didn't really believe it until yesterday. I still can't believe it right now." Jenkins worked on the front foot in the final, surging for a first-period takedown and leading 2-1 after one. Starting on the bottom in period two, Jenkins worked an escape to set up the final maneuver of her career. Once back to neutral, Jenkins charged. She got a wrap on Fairborn's Akiaya Rhinehart and finished the move. Rhinehart landed on her back. Jenkins was on top. After a few seconds, the pin was called, and Jenkins had, improbably, reached the top of the state. "The first thing I thought was, 'My mom is gonna be so happy for me,'" Jenkins said. "... My sisters, my mom, my dad are gonna be so happy for me." Jenkins handled herself like a champion after the match. She couldn't quite believe it, but she had also spent the whole state meet turning herself into a believer in herself. "I sharpened my mind and knew this was my last chance," Jenkins said. "I have nothing else to say. Something just clicked in my mind." There may never be another state champion quite like Jenkins. And it wasn't a fluke. In four months, she had become a dominant, powerful force on the mat. She didn't just win. She left absolutely no doubt as to who the best 235-pound girls wrestler in Ohio was. Sometimes the best outcomes are the ones that no one could have ever possibly imagined. "It's so unreal," Jenkins said. "I kept telling myself all day, 'You've made it this far, Brooke. You've only had a few months. And you're gonna cap it off with a win here. You're not gonna go out without a fight.' And I did just that. It feels amazing."