Abbi Cooper has become an immediately recognizable name for the current Clayton Valley students and staff after her extraordinary achievements on the girls wrestling team. She has made history in many aspects of her craft, however even now, she continues to outdo herself.
In just her third year of wrestling, Cooper has officially become a nationally ranked wrestler, placing 13th in her weight division in November 2023. In addition to this accomplishment, CVCHS has never had a nationally ranked wrestler, in either girls or boys wrestling, making her the first ever in the school's history to hold this title, an increasingly impressive statistic when considering that she has achieved this with less than three years of participating on a wrestling team. However, her amount of experience has never seemed to affect her stats or her character. Cooper has been described as “persevering” and “fearless” when it comes to her competition, all powered by her love for the sport.
Micheal Clemmensen, one of Cooper’s wrestling coaches since freshman year, describes her as the “...hardest worker, with not only talent, but a strong sense of leadership,” an important trait for someone with such a gift. He also included that “[Abbi] is willing to take on any challenges, even those that are above her,” and that she is “willing to wrestle anyone, as long as she can wrestle.”
Cooper also holds a record of 128-26 as a high school All-American wrestler. She has attained multiple championship titles, spanning from cities, to state, to national settings. In 2022, she went undefeated in all of her matches in the Junior National Team Duals, and she has earned gold medals in tournaments such as the California Greco-Roman State Championships, as well as four more in Beach Wrestling. Nevertheless, she makes sure to stay humble and appreciative of those around her.
“My coach Gonzo [her nickname for her other coach Christopher Gonzalez] has coached me throughout the offseason and doesn’t really have a break, but whenever I need him to train me, he always will come over and help no matter what,” said Cooper, when asked who has helped her the most throughout this journey.
All through her wrestling career, she has consistently dominated no matter the place, time, or circumstance. Cooper even faced a hand injury at the end of last year, however she has not let it defeat her. This resolution is a clear reflection of the athlete she is, and the reason for her success. Her responses to challenges are truly inspiring, and all seem to be something that she can just bounce back from naturally.
“[Abbi] has continued to fight back as hard as she can, and she was even determined enough to continue working out even when she was injured,” added Clemmensen, when talking about what makes her different from other athletes.
It is clear that determination, steadfastness, and an overall personality to continue to persevere, while surrounding herself by a supportive team, have helped Cooper to reach where she has gotten today. Her sheer talent is also something to be recognized and applauded. Not only is her hard work incredibly admirable, but her humility and dedication are what makes her stand out to not only her peers at Clayton Valley, but also to her competitors from around the nation. Her mentality in approaching matches seems to bring her incredible success, and she seems to have no plans of stopping soon.
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