Noah Kovach and Elly Yelle competed and trained with other high-level wrestlers from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 in Colorado Springs.

“Wrestling has definitely taught me a lot,” Kovach said. “My brother wrestled, so I grew up at wrestling tournaments. My mom was like, ‘We’re gonna stick her in wrestling because she has too much energy.’ Then, I just never quit. It’s a hard sport, but it’s very rewarding. It’s given me a lot of friends and teammates that I’m thankful for.”

Both Noah and Elly said that wrestling has had a lasting impact, more so than any of their previous extracurriculars.

“I used to do basketball, and all the other sports,” Yelle said. “Wrestling just really connected with me, my personality and who I am more than any other sport.”

Head girls’ wrestling coach Jayson Conger has coached wrestling for 18 years and has coached Elly and Noah all three years of high school so far.

“One of the greatest joys of coaching is watching wrestlers grow, learn and develop,” Conger said. “Noah and Elly have been the tale of two separate journeys. Both started their combat sports journeys before starting at Azle High School. Mostly in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training at Genesis in Azle, which laid a great foundation for both of them. In the last three years, they have both blossomed into fantastic competitors, but even better team leaders.”

Because of the growth they’ve shown throughout their years of wrestling, they received the invite to go to the Olympic Training Center, cost-free.

“We got a package deal from USA Wrestling,” Kovach said. “If you qualify at certain tournaments, or if you get top three at certain tournaments, you qualify for the camp.”

Within the walls of the training center, while they had a routine to follow, it wasn’t just about competing. They connected with other high-level athletes on Halloween by celebrating it with painting pumpkins.

“We would wake up early, eat breakfast and then go to our first training session,” Kovach said. “It’d be about two hours, and then we’d have a little break. Then, we’d have a nutrition meeting or a mindset meeting, and it’s something to help you that’s not just strictly about wrestling. After that, we’d eat lunch, have our second practice, which would be two to three hours again, and then we’d eat dinner and go to sleep.

The Olympic Training Center’s environment was different from their regular training environment. Colorado Springs itself provided an obstacle to overcome.

“The main element that was very different was the elevation,” Kovach said. “When you’re there, your body’s not used to being at a high elevation, so I got very out of breath easily, and training was just significantly harder because of that.”

The other coaches and athletes present at the camp made their experience more memorable.

“It really opened my mind that I can do anything,” Yelle said. “I was like, ‘OK, I’m representing my school, my state, and my family. I can compete at this level.’ There was this one girl named Naomi Simon that I went against. She was 23 years old. She goes to Iowa, which is one of the best wrestling schools you can go to, and was a four-time state champion. She competed in the U20 worlds (an annual international tournament for junior age wrestlers), where she got third.”

Conger said he appreciates being able to witness and support their success in wrestling.

“Seeing them enjoy their journeys individually is very rewarding,” Conger said. “It’s important to give credit where credit is due to them. They both have different goals and paths to achieve what they want in life. This was just a unique experience that allowed them to learn from different perspectives and provide them with opportunities to grow continually.”

Conger said his advice for wrestling is to always try to keep it fun, stay relaxed and have confidence in everything you do. With that, Yelle has set high expectations for her upcoming season.

“I’m looking forward to growing closer with my teammates, both new and returning,” Yelle said. “While pushing through mental barriers and seeing just how much I’m capable of, one of my biggest dreams is to go undefeated over the next two years and become a two-time state champion. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, but I’m willing to put it in.”

Yelle’s personal growth sets the focus for the upcoming challenges this season.

“I feel more confident and focused this year,” Yelle said. “I’ve learned from the small mistakes that set me back last season. I’m excited to see how my team grows together. It’s going to be an amazing season.”