Coates one match short of medal at girls state wrestling

WAVERLY – Grace Coates didn't enter the Aplington-Parkersburg wrestling room with experience.

But Brian Benning knows why Coates achieved as much as she did in her senior year with Aplington-Parkersburg/Grundy Center wrestling.

"She achieved success through hard work, dedication and commitment," said Bennig, A-P/GC head coach. "She's reaping the rewards she deserves."

Coates was a match short of earning a medal at the second annual Iowa Wrestling Coaches Officials Association Girls State Wrestling Tournament in Waverly-Shell Rock High School last Friday and Saturday.

But what started as an avenue for Coates to stay in shape for soccer became something much more meaningful.

"Coach Benning told me that it's not about the destination, but about the journey," Coates. "So many opportunities have opened up for me, making me stronger, making me realize that the journey will be hard but that eventually I will get there, no matter how hard."

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