Wrestling:

It’s been nearly five months since we’ve seen Samantha Sachs on a wrestling mat.

It was at the 2023-24 CIF State Championships in Bakersfield.

The Glendora junior and three-time CIF-SS individual champion earned herself a spot in the 125-pound title match inside the Mechanics Bank Arena.

And she led Downey’s Christina Osorio, 4-2, before getting pinned by the No. 4 seed at the 3:45 mark.

The look of disappointment and shock on Sachs’ face was both evident and difficult to take in for those of us that have gotten to know her.

Sachs described the experience like this: “Losing in the state finals was heartbreaking. I knew that I was right there, and I was so close to winning it, and that made it so hard. The pain definitely ended up turning into fuel for the offseason.”

The best way of gauging one’s true character, it’s been said, is the way in which people respond to their failures, as opposed to their successes.

Losing a match in the state finals is the furthest thing from failing, but if you knew Samantha Sachs and the lofty expectations that she’s set for herself, one wouldn’t be too surprised if she looked at it that way.

Sachs isn’t your typical student-athlete.

She’s all about winning championships and nothing less is acceptable.

So, how did she respond?

Samantha made the 131-mile drive from Kern County back to Glendora with her parents.

Instead of pouting or feeling sorry for herself, Sachs worked her ass off even harder, and as you’ll see, it’s paid massive dividends.

This past weekend, Sachs made history by earning a 130-pound Fargo Junior Women’s Freestyle National Championship in North Dakota.

It’s considered the toughest tournament in the country.

She went 7-0 inside the Fargodome on the campus of North Dakota State University.

What makes this feat even more impressive is the fact that Sachs had to outlast 98 other competitors from throughout the United States in her weight class.

Of the seven wins, Sachs defeated five seeded competitors.

And she saved her best for last.

Sachs defeated top-seeded and reigning champion, Lynn Horn of Oklahoma, 3-1, in the title bout.

The icing on the cake had to be the fact that Sachs had lost her previous two matches to Horn.

Horn bested Sachs at the Junior National Duals via criteria, and at last year’s 16U Fargo Nationals in which Samantha placed third.

Samantha Sachs is already a badass, but she took her toughness to another level by competing and persevering through a UCL (elbow) injury.

The soon-to-be GHS senior also did her part in helping Team California finish first.

California’s 176 team points was 72 better than second-place Missouri.

Quotable:

Glendora wrestler, Samantha Sachs: “I wanted to show everyone that I belonged in those top rankings, and in order to be the best, I had to beat the best. That’s why this tournament was so important to me. Even in a few past tournaments, I came very close to a national title, but this became my time. All of that has led up to this moment. I am super excited to start my senior year at Glendora, and I am going to do everything I can between now and then to get me that state title.”

Just below is Sachs’ Bracket:

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Samantha Sachs’ Path to a 130-Pound National Title:
Championship: Sachs def. Lynn Horn (Oklahoma), 3-1.
Semifinal: Sachs def. Carley Ceshker (Wisconsin), 3-2.
Quarterfinal: Sachs def Emma Chacon (Arizona), 3-0.
Round of 16: Sachs def. Tammy Grace (California), 10-0.
Round of 32: Sachs def. Nora Quitt (Massachusetts), 6-2.
Round of 64: Sachs def. Rylie Donahue (Illinois), 12-0.
Round of 128: Sachs def. Eliana Borjas (Ohio), 10-0.

Top-10 Team Scores:
1- California (176)
2- Missouri (104)
3- Pennsylvania (100)
4- Indiana (82)
5- Illinois (80)
6- Oklahoma (72)
7- Arizona (64)
8- Utah (57)
9- Michigan (54)
10- Washington (51)