Submitted photos – Audrina Mace signs her letter of intent to wrestle at College of the Redwoods after graduation.

By Ray Hamill — Any time a local student-athlete gets the opportunity to continue their playing careers in college is impressive.

But doing so after just two seasons competing in a sport is even more so.

And that’s the case for Hoopa senior Audrina Mace, who is taking advantage of a growing trend in college sports and last week signed her letter of intent to compete on the wrestling mats for College of the Redwoods.

In 2026, women’s college wrestling will officially become the 91st NCAA championship sport and it is one of the fastest growing sports in the high school and college ranks in recent years.

And Mace is the latest local athlete to take advantage of that.

“Women’s wrestling seems to be growing really fast,” she said. “It’s very exciting.”

It’s also an exciting opportunity for the Warriors senior, who will join head coach Brandon Benvenuti and the Corsairs women’s team next spring.

After talking to Benvenuti, as well as a close friend, Mace decided to join the team, which is in its second year competing this spring.

“I talked to the coach a few times about wrestling there, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to wrestle in college,” Mace said. “I’ve only been wrestling for two years.”

A friendship with a local rival helped convince Mace to take the chance.

“Me and a friend (Arcata senior Ash Osceola) talked about wrestling in college on the same team,” Mace explained. 

And, according to the Hoopa senior, when Osceola decided to wrestle at CR, she decided to join her.

Hoopa head coach Robert Baldy believes Mace has shown enough in her two seasons on the mats to be a success at the next level.

In particular, her dedication to the sport in high school convinced him she can succeed there.

“One of the biggest things I’ve seen from her is she was very consistent about training and very diligent about coming to practice all the time,” Baldy said.  “I think she can (be a success) if she sticks with it and shows up for practice and trains hard.”

Mace, according to the coach, also has the right mindset to succeed on the college mats.

“In competition she would always go into every match with the willingness to go the distance and always gave her best,” Baldy added. “She was always happy after winning or losing. She always had the mentality of winning with grace and losing with grace.”

Mace has been a three-sport athlete at Hoopa Valley, having also competed in basketball and track and field.

But she opted to take up wrestling after encouragement from her father, Randy, and brother, Allen, the latter of whom was a multi-sport athlete for the Warriors before graduating last year.

According to Audrina, her father and brother had been trying to talk her into trying the sport “forever,” along with her school friend Vanessa King, who also was a standout grappler for the Warriors before graduating last year.

And she finally relented at the start of her junior season, opting to switch from the basketball courts to the mats.

It’s a decision that has paid big dividends for the young standout, who appears to have a big upside.

“I’m glad she stuck with it,” Baldy said. “She’s come a long way for how short a time she’s been wrestling.”

As for her time at Hoopa, Audrina says one of the things she has enjoyed most about being a Warrior is how close-knit the students are and how much support she and her teammates receive from the other school teams.

“I really like (the fact) it’s small and everybody knows everybody and the other teams are really involved and really care,” she said. “I really like how the other teams are hyped for all the teams.”

As for her future on the mats, Audrina says she would like to wrestle for as long as she can.

“I’d be open to (competing at a four-year school), she said. “I haven’t really thought about that.”

But for now, she is focusing on her final high school season in track and field, where she will compete for Hoopa in the sprint events and relay sprints.

Asked whether she’s fast, she responded with a chuckle.

“I’m trying to be,” she said. 

Audrina also paid tribute to her coaches at Hoopa, who have played a big role in helping her career on the mats.

“I would like to thank my coaches, Robert and Meagan Baldy, also my dad and my friend (Vanessa King),” she said.