Indy's Taylor going to Bluefield State for women's wrestling, acrobatics and tumbling

May 10—Kenzi Taylor has always been an athlete with many talents. Cheerleading. Wrestling. Track. She even played football at one point.

Being a multisport athlete won't change for Taylor at the college level.

The Independence senior signed her letter of intent to join both the acrobatics and tumbling and women's wrestling teams at Bluefield State.

Taylor had a successful scholastic wrestling career. She was in eighth grade when the inaugural West Virginia Girls Invitational was held in 2000 and won a state championship.

"I've put a lot of time, hard work, money into wrestling," Taylor said. "It would be hard to pass up the opportunity (to wrestle in college) after working at it my whole life."

The same holds true for acrobatics and tumbling, something she has done nearly her entire life.

"I've been cheering since I was 3," she said. "I've also put a lot of hard work into working on my tumbling and stunting classes. I love cheering, so being able to continue tumbling and stunting, too, is also a big deal to me."

Taylor had also looked at Misericordia University in Pennsylvania and Tiffin University in Ohio as possible wrestling destinations. Bluefield State just completed its inaugural season fielding a women's wrestling team.

"There was a couple I looked at, but I decided on Bluefield (State) because it was closer, better opportunities, Promise Scholarship," she said.

Taylor, who plans on majoring in radiologic technology, is ready for the challenge of being a college multisport athlete.

"I think the biggest challenge will be not being able to work, because I have two jobs right now," she said. "It was difficult, but since I'm doing the rad tech program, I'm not going to have any time to work. And I've talked to both of the coaches and they've figured out the schedule for weightlifting and training, so they're going to work it out. It should work out."

Taylor missed the girls state tournament her freshman year because of Covid, but returned as a sophomore and won the 123-pound championship.

She decided not to wrestle her junior year. She returned late in her senior year and placed fourth competing against boys at the Coalfield Conference Tournament.

Taylor then joined 105 other girls from around the state for a historic state tournament. For the first time, the tournament was held at the Marshall Health Network Arena in Huntington alongside the boys tournament.

She competed in the 126-pound division and won her first two matches by pin to reach the semifinals. There, she was pinned in the first period by Keira Gladden of Martinsburg.

It was the first time Taylor had ever been beaten by a girl.

"Mainly, I was just upset with myself," Taylor said. "Because, really, mentally I needed to take that break (year off), but wrestling wise it didn't do me good. I was working towards it, but I was still out of shape. I hadn't been putting the work in like I should have. I took it a little hard, but I wasn't mad. Shoot, I was mad, but I guess not at her."

Taylor ended up getting two more pins in the consolation round and placed third.

Despite not winning the championship, Taylor finds herself in a positive state of mind.

"I'm glad I took a break because the people, the whole entire situation, it wasn't good," Taylor said. "I struggled with my mental health really bad in those times. So it most definitely made me feel better, but it did not improve my wrestling skills."

She can use it all as a learning experience as she goes into a more favorable phase of life.

"I'm doing better," she said. "I've just got to lock in, prepare for college, because I'll be wrestling only girls the entire year instead of just some offseason tournaments."

Taylor will join Kate Honaker, Sydni Weis and Lillian Honaker as a member of the Patriots' shuttle hurdle relay team that will compete at the state meet next week in Charleston.

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