Family legacy can be a heavy burden to carry, especially when you haven’t yet entered high school, but incoming Windsor High School freshman Carmen Perez has embraced the challenge.
Perez, the younger sister of former WHS league wrestling champions and state qualifiers Perez Emilio Perez (class of 2014) and Perez David Perez (2018) has done nothing to diminish the family name following a standout junior high school career, continuing her prowess on the national tournament circuit.
The 110-pounder has already been wrestling for four years, including two standout seasons at Windsor Middle School. This summer, Perez has been competing in several high level tournaments in the Middle School/Schoolgirl Division, including competition in three different styles.
Perez began the tournament season in March by placing seventh in her weight class at the USMC Girls Folkstyle Nationals in Oklahoma, earning her All American status. She followed up with a great showing at the USAW Western Regional in Las Vegas in April, where she placed third in Freestyle and Folkstyle and took fourth in Greco.
In May, Perez was a seventh-place All American at the Women’s Freestyle Nationals (Body Bar) in Texas, and most recently placed second in Freestyle, fourth in Folkstyle and fifth in Greco at the Western States Regional in Pocatello, Idaho in June.
The budding star has set lofty goals as she enters high school, where she aspires to set the gold standard in local girls wrestling.
“Carmen wants to be Windsor’s High School’s first girls’ state champion, and that should get her front seat status on family trips,” WHS head coach Rich Carnation said. “The wrestling legacy of her brothers means a lot to her and she feels like she has already gone further than they did at her age. She wants to break new ground in girls wrestling for Windsor High School.”
Her accomplishments have already impressed members of her wrestling family, who she stays in close contact with during her tournaments.
“Her brothers’ opinions and advice mean a lot to her,” Carnation noted. “She actually keeps in touch with them at every event that she goes to and they encourage her over the phone after each match.”
The Perez wrestling dynasty may be far from over, with more siblings coming up through the ranks.
“Carmen still has three younger brothers coming up that wrestle, so she’s also wanting to be a good example of hard work for them like her older brothers were for her,” Carnation said. “She wants to continue training daily and traveling and wrestling at all the big events, and eventually wrestle at a women’s college that has a nursing program.”
